The Hemel Hempstead School

The Hemel Hempstead School is performing at a strong standard and demonstrates several notable strengths, including effective leadership and a robust personal development program that enhances students' wellbeing and social skills. The school's inclusive culture fosters positive relationships among pupils and staff, contributing to a supportive learning environment. With a commitment to preparing all pupils, including those with special educational needs, for their future paths, the school excels in providing structured careers guidance and a rich array of enrichment opportunities. However, some inconsistencies in teaching approaches and knowledge retention have been identified as areas for further development.

Strengths

• Strong leadership with a clear ambition for student success.
• Effective safeguarding practices ensuring pupil safety.
• Robust personal development program fostering social skills.
• Inclusive environment ensuring participation of all students.
• Structured and accessible careers guidance for pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in teaching methods across some subjects.
• A few pupils have key knowledge gaps due to variable teaching quality.

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 The Hemel Hempstead School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.7% 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, 5.6% of pupils at The Hemel Hempstead School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 The Hemel Hempstead School had 17.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.1% 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, 17.9% of pupils at The Hemel Hempstead School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.2% 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 The Hemel Hempstead School received £7,510 and spent £7,657 for each of its 1,286 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,901,000 (£1,478 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Scholars' Education Trust, income was £7,571 and spending £7,610 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 Hemel Hempstead · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

The Hemel Hempstead School is part of Scholars' Education Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Oakleaf Primary Hemel Hempstead
• Longdean School Hemel Hempstead
• Harpenden Academy Harpenden
• Samuel Ryder Academy St Albans
• Sir John Lawes School Harpenden
• Watling Lower School Dunstable
• Priory Academy Dunstable
• Dunstable Icknield Lower School Dunstable
• The Highfield School Letchworth Garden City
• Robert Barclay Academy Hoddesdon

What is The Hemel Hempstead School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Hemel Hempstead School is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was The Hemel Hempstead School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Hemel Hempstead School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does The Hemel Hempstead School have?

The Hemel Hempstead School has 1,287 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Hemel Hempstead School cover?

The Hemel Hempstead School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Hemel Hempstead School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.3, and 50% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Hemel Hempstead School?

The Hemel Hempstead School is at Heath Lane, The Hemel Hempstead School, Heath Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1TX.