Laureate Academy

About Laureate Academy

Laureate Academy sits in Dacorum, Hertfordshire, as one of nine secondary schools in the borough, where it ranks sixth by Progress 8 score. Across the wider Hertfordshire local authority, it places 59th out of 86 same-type schools, placing it firmly in the bottom half of the county. The top-performing peers in the LA — Sandringham School, Yavneh College, and Dame Alice Owen's School — all post Progress 8 scores above 0.9, a stark contrast to Laureate's own score of -0.22. That said, the school has made a notable turnaround since its last Ofsted inspection. In 2017 it was rated Inadequate overall, with leadership and management also marked Inadequate. By its most recent graded inspection in June 2023, it had climbed to Good across every category: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. For a school that serves a community where 36.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals — well above the national average — this represents a significant shift in direction under headteacher Ruthie Jacobs.

Academically, Laureate's results are mixed and sit below the Hertfordshire average. Its Progress 8 score of -0.22 means pupils achieve about two months less progress than the national average by the end of key stage 4, and well below the LA average of 0.18. The Attainment 8 score stands at 41.7, and just 35.4% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc average point score is 3.96, with 48.6% of pupils entering the EBacc combination but only 20.1% achieving a grade 5 or above in it. Breaking down Progress 8, the weakest area is open subjects at -0.62, while English and maths are also negative at -0.32 and -0.07 respectively. EBacc subjects, however, show a positive progress score of 0.11. At key stage 5, the sixth form is small with just 19 pupils, and the average points per entry is 25.17, equivalent to a C- grade. The best three A-levels average out at a D+, and the value added score is -0.24, which is banded as Average.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 217 applications for 185 places and 58 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.17. Facilities are strong for a state school: a swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, tennis courts, and a sixth-form centre sit alongside science labs, music rooms, art studios, and a library. There is also a chapel on site. Sports offered include rowing, rugby, hockey, and gymnastics, while clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Young Enterprise to orchestra, chess, and a newspaper club. SEND provision covers seven categories including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. This is a school that has climbed out of a difficult Ofsted category and is now drawing more applicants than it has places, but its academic outcomes remain below the county average. It will suit families who value the breadth of facilities and the improving trajectory, particularly those whose children may benefit from the strong SEND support and the wide extracurricular offer.

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