Hertford Heath Primary and Nursery School

About Hertford Heath Primary and Nursery School

Hertford Heath Primary and Nursery School is a mixed state primary in Hertfordshire, serving 196 pupils aged 3 to 11. It sits within the East Hertfordshire local authority, where it ranks 40th out of 47 primaries on its KS2 expected standard measure, placing it in the bottom half of schools locally. The top-performing peers in the area include Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harvey Road Primary School, and The Russell School, all of which achieve the highest possible ranking scores. For families looking at nearby alternatives, the nearest Outstanding-rated school is Abel Smith School, 2.3 kilometres away. The school is led by headteacher Helen Shay and has no religious character. It offers nursery provision and is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 64 applications for 29 places, with 22 offers made to first-preference families from 28 first-preference applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.21.

In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2013, the school was rated Good overall, with Good marks for leadership and management and overall effectiveness. An ungraded inspection in December 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 48% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Hertfordshire local authority average of 64%. Reading was the strongest subject: 70% reached the expected standard and 22% achieved a higher score. Maths saw 52% at expected and 11% at higher, while writing had 52% at expected and just 4% at higher. Average scores were 106 in reading and 101 in maths. No progress scores are available for any subject. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 20% of primaries on the combined expected measure, and in the bottom 25% within the East of England region.

The school’s facilities include an outdoor playground, ICT suite, sensory room, library, music rooms and a chapel. Sports on offer are netball, swimming, athletics and tennis, and clubs include science, art, coding, book club and chess. The school has a dedicated sensory room and provides support for a range of special educational needs: specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 17.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a slightly above-average proportion of disadvantaged children for a Hertfordshire primary. This is a small, community-focused school that suits families who value a Good-rated setting with nursery provision and a strong SEND offer, but who are comfortable with academic outcomes that sit below the local average and a high likelihood of not securing a place given the oversubscription rate.

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