Lady Hawkins' School
50%
Capacity
253
Pupils
1.3x
Demand
About Lady Hawkins' School
Lady Hawkins' School is a smaller-than-average secondary in Herefordshire, with 253 pupils on roll against a capacity of 510, meaning it's running at just under half its potential size. The proportion of students eligible for free school meals stands at 19.4%, which is above the national average for secondary schools and suggests a significant level of disadvantage in the intake. Despite the spare capacity, the school was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, receiving 59 applications for 46 places and making 44 offers to first-preference families. That oversubscription ratio of 1.28 indicates solid local demand, even though the school is far from full. The headteacher is Allen Brace, and the school is non-denominational, serving the 11-16 age range with no sixth form. It's a mixed state school in a rural county, and the relatively low pupil numbers mean class sizes are likely smaller than at larger comprehensives.
Academically, the school's Progress 8 score of -0.48 is below the local authority average of -0.22, placing it 11th out of 15 schools in Herefordshire and in the bottom 50% nationally. The Attainment 8 score is 41.7, and 60.7% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though only 31.1% reached the stronger grade 5 benchmark. The EBacc entry rate is 29.5%, with 21.3% achieving the measure at grade 4 or above. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024, the school was rated Good across all graded areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — maintaining the same overall rating it held in 2018. Parent View responses from 56 families show 77% would recommend the school, with particularly strong agreement that children can take part in clubs and activities (54% strongly agree) and that children are happy (41% strongly agree).
The school offers a solid range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, astro turf, science labs, and a library, plus a chapel and sixth form centre despite having no official sixth form. Sports on offer include rowing, martial arts, and cross country alongside the usual football and rugby, and clubs range from Model UN and debate to gardening and eco club. SEND provision covers seven areas including dyslexia, autism, and speech and language needs, though the Parent View data on SEND support is mixed — 33% strongly agree support is adequate, but 25% strongly disagree. With its below-capacity roll and oversubscribed admissions, this is a school that clearly serves a specific local community well, particularly families who value smaller settings and a broad extracurricular offer, but whose academic outcomes lag behind the county average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Park View, Kington, Herefordshire, County of, HR5 3AR |
| Headteacher | Allen Brace |
| Local Authority | Herefordshire, County of |
| Number of Pupils | 253 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 19.4% |
| School Capacity | 253 / 510 (50% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
22 Oct 2024Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Source: Ofsted, 26 Nov 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.48)
2582nd of 3,141
Nationally
300th of 371
In West Midlands
11th of 15
In Herefordshire, County of
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make 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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2343%
of GCSE leavers continue at FE college (cohort: 65 pupils).
- FE college43%
- Sixth form college31%
- Apprenticeship9%
- Not sustained9%
- Employment8%
91% 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.
Ofsted Parent View
56 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
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
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed46
59
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
44 families put this school as their 1st choice (75% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:30
Breakfast club
08:30-08:55
Source: lhs.hereford.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% 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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British84.6%
- White (other)6.3%
- Asian5.6%
- Mixed2.4%
- Black0.4%
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.
2
Total schools
2
Oversubscribed
1
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 Lady Hawkins' School
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
Park View, Kington
Herefordshire, County of, HR5 3AR
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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