John Masefield High School

About John Masefield High School

John Masefield High School is a mixed state secondary in Herefordshire that currently educates 841 pupils against a capacity of 930, leaving some headroom in its buildings. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 19.8%, which is notably above the national average for secondary schools and suggests a catchment that includes significant economic diversity. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 233 applications for 152 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.53, with 146 of those applications coming as first preferences. All 146 first-preference applicants were offered a place, meaning that while the school is popular, families who put it first have a very strong chance of getting in. The school has a non-religious character and operates a mixed sixth form, drawing pupils from across the county.

Academically, John Masefield’s results present a mixed picture. At Key Stage 4, its Progress 8 score of -0.35 is below the local authority average of -0.22 and places the school in the bottom 50 nationally, ranking 9th out of 15 schools in Herefordshire. The Attainment 8 score of 44.9 is modest, and 64.2% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, dropping to 46.4% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is high at 63.6%, though only 29.8% achieved the EBacc at grade 5 or above. At A-level, the picture is more encouraging: the school’s value added score of -0.09 is classed as average, and pupils achieved an average of 28.75 points per entry, equivalent to a grade C. The best three A-levels averaged a grade C, and 21.9% of entries were graded AAB or higher. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school was rated Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good, and the report noted it had maintained this standard since its previous graded inspection in 2013.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including science labs, a theatre, a swimming pool, a sixth form centre, and extensive sports grounds. Sports provision covers rugby, football, cricket, dance, cross country, rounders, and basketball, while extracurricular clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model UN, Young Enterprise, and a school newspaper. SEND support is well-developed, with provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes the school a practical choice for families whose children need targeted support within a mainstream setting. For parents weighing up options in Herefordshire, John Masefield is a solid, well-subscribed school that balances a genuinely inclusive intake with a sixth form that performs around the national average, though its GCSE outcomes lag behind the strongest local peers.

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