Gracewood Academy
N/A
Capacity
N/A
Pupils
2.3x
Demand
About Gracewood Academy
Gracewood Academy is a mixed state secondary in Hertsmere that is significantly oversubscribed, with 505 applications for 218 places in the 2025/26 admissions round. That is an oversubscription ratio of 2.32, and only 155 of those offers went to first-preference applicants, despite 168 families listing it as their top choice. The school has capacity for 1,432 pupils, and its intake reflects a high level of disadvantage: 40.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. This demographic context is important for understanding the school’s outcomes, as Gracewood serves a community with greater-than-average socioeconomic challenges. The headteacher is Georgina Charles, and the school has no religious character. It also operates a sixth form, which is a draw for families wanting a through-school option in the area.
Academically, Gracewood’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Requires Improvement overall, a significant step up from its previous Inadequate rating in 2018. The sixth form provision was rated Good, while behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management all sit at Requires Improvement. On Progress 8, the school scored -1.07, placing it well below average nationally and bottom of the six schools in Hertsmere. The local authority average Progress 8 is 0.18, so Gracewood is over a grade behind the typical Hertfordshire school per subject. Attainment 8 sits at 35.4, and just 31.9% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. At A-level, the picture is slightly brighter: value added is -0.21, which is within the average band, and the average points per entry grade is C-. The school ranks 73rd out of 86 state secondaries in the local authority.
Gracewood offers a solid range of facilities, including a sixth form centre, science labs, music rooms, art studios, and an astro turf pitch. Sports provision is broad, with rowing, rugby, netball, and gymnastics among the options, and there are clubs covering everything from coding and drama to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Model UN. The school has a comprehensive SEND offer, with provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder, among others. For families considering Gracewood, the key trade-off is clear: it is a heavily oversubscribed school serving a high-needs community, with improving but still below-average outcomes. It may suit parents who value a local, inclusive comprehensive with a sixth form and a wide extracurricular programme, and who are comfortable with a school that is still on an improvement journey. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Dame Alice Owen’s School, 2.1 km away.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Church Road, Potters Bar, Hertsmere, EN6 1EZ |
| Headteacher | Georgina Charles |
| Local Authority | Hertfordshire |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 40.5% |
| School Capacity | 1,432 |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
3 Jul 2023Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 26 Sept 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-1.07)
3042nd of 3,141
Nationally
342nd of 350
In East of England
6th of 6
In Hertsmere
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
35.7
'22/23
29.1
'23/24
26.7
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2334%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 196 pupils).
- FE college39%
- School sixth form (stay)34%
- Not sustained11%
- Employment10%
- Apprenticeship4%
87% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2346%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 50 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
21%
Russell Group
21%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)46%
- Employment24%
- Not sustained16%
- Further education8%
- Apprenticeship4%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- English Language12
- Biology11
- Government and Politics9
- History9
- English Literature8
- Mathematics8
- Chemistry7
- Geography6
- Art and Design (Fine Art)5
- Physics3
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed218
505
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
168 families put this school as their 1st choice (33% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British80.7%
- Asian3.5%
- Mixed2.9%
- White (other)2.3%
- Black0.9%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
5
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
4
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Gracewood Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Church Road, Potters Bar
Hertsmere, EN6 1EZ
Church Road, Potters Bar
Hertsmere, EN6 1EZ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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