Ashlyns School

About Ashlyns School

Ashlyns School is a large mixed secondary in Dacorum, Hertfordshire, currently home to 1,535 pupils against a capacity of 1,557, meaning it is running very close to full. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 11.4%, which is slightly below the national average for secondary schools and suggests a broadly middle-income intake. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 599 applications for 235 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.55. Of those, 210 offers went to first-preference applicants, out of 269 who put the school as their top choice. That level of competition signals a school that local families are actively seeking out, and it is ranked first among nine secondary schools in the Dacorum local authority area by Progress 8 score. The headteacher is James Shapland, and the school has no religious character, serving a mixed community across the 11–18 age range.

Academically, Ashlyns delivers strong results. Its Progress 8 score of 0.36 is well above the Hertfordshire local authority average of 0.18 and places the school in the top 25% nationally. Pupils achieve an Attainment 8 score of 53.8, and 78.9% secure a grade 4 or above in English and maths, with 61.6% reaching the higher grade 5 threshold. The EBacc entry rate is 27.3%, and 23.6% of pupils achieve the EBacc at grade 4 or above. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Good overall, with all key areas — quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management — also judged Good. The sixth form was rated Outstanding, and A-level outcomes support that: students achieved an average of 34.82 points per entry, equivalent to a C+ grade, and the best three A-levels averaged 34.27 points. The value-added score of 0.02 is in line with expectations, placing the sixth form in the average progress banding.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a theatre, sports hall, astro turf, tennis courts, science labs, art studios, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include rowing, swimming, basketball, and cricket, while clubs range from Young Enterprise and Debate to Eco Club, Art Club, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Ashlyns has a substantial SEND provision, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With its strong academic record, oversubscribed intake, and Outstanding sixth form, Ashlyns is a good fit for families in Dacorum and the wider Hertfordshire area who want a large, well-regarded state secondary with a proven track record and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities.

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