Elstree Screen Arts Academy

Elstree Screen Arts Academy is a 14–19 university technical college specialising in the creative arts. It is part of Danes Educational Trust and is sponsored by Elstree Studios and the University of Hertfordshire. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its previous inspection grade was Good; under the current framework it received no overall effectiveness grade. Inspectors found outstanding provision across all key judgements and in the sixth form, with pupils receiving an exceptional education that combines a specialised creative curriculum with essential English, maths and science qualifications. The school’s creative-industry partnerships are impressive and prepare pupils well for further study, training and employment. Notable strengths include exemplary pupil behaviour, a caring and inclusive culture, and exemplary personal development through the ‘we are ESA’ curriculum and the ‘7Cs’ character programme. Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum and achieve well, reading support is effective, and sixth-form students achieve well with strong careers and progression support. Leaders have a clear vision, staff feel well supported, safeguarding is effective, and pupils with previously low attendance make rapid improvements. Some pupils achieve less well in the core subjects, and attendance remains a challenge for some pupils. The school has introduced a recovery curriculum to address gaps in learning caused by low attendance or missed learning before joining, and core GCSE outcomes have been improving year on year. Overall, this is a highly effective school with a small number of areas still to strengthen.

Strengths

• Delivers an exceptional specialised creative arts curriculum alongside core English, maths and science.
• Strong creative-industry partnerships prepare pupils well for further study, training and employment.
• Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and they are highly supportive of their peers.
• Personal development is exemplary, including the ‘7Cs’ character programme adopted by other trust schools.
• Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum and achieve well.
• Effective reading support and a well-stocked library help pupils who need extra help.
• Sixth-form students achieve well, attend regularly and receive high-quality careers and progression support.
• Leaders have a clear vision, and staff feel well supported with workload and wellbeing.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Pupils with previously low attendance make rapid improvements.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils achieve less well in the core subjects.
• Attendance remains a challenge for some pupils.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Elstree Screen Arts Academy attended 86.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 35.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.8% of pupils at Elstree Screen Arts Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Elstree Screen Arts Academy had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 5.5% of pupils at Elstree Screen Arts Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 8.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Elstree Screen Arts Academy received £9,148 and spent £8,734 for each of its 498 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £583,000 (£1,170 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Danes Educational Trust, income was £7,961 and spending £7,847 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Borehamwood · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

Elstree Screen Arts Academy is part of Danes Educational Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Chancellor's School Hatfield
• Lanchester Primary School Watford
• De Havilland Primary School Hatfield
• Ascot Road Primary School Watford
• Onslow St Audrey's School Hatfield
• Croxley Danes School Rickmansworth
• St Clement Danes School Rickmansworth
• Jupiter Primary School Hemel Hempstead
• Roselands Primary School Hoddesdon
• The Cranbourne Primary School Hoddesdon

What is Elstree Screen Arts Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Elstree Screen Arts Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Elstree Screen Arts Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Elstree Screen Arts Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Elstree Screen Arts Academy have?

Elstree Screen Arts Academy has 524 pupils on roll.

What age range does Elstree Screen Arts Academy cover?

Elstree Screen Arts Academy for pupils aged 14 to 19.

Where is Elstree Screen Arts Academy?

Elstree Screen Arts Academy is at Studio Way, Elstree, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 5NN.