The Grove Academy

About The Grove Academy

The Grove Academy in Watford has been rated Good by Ofsted following its most recent inspection in May 2025, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in November 2022. The school’s early years provision was singled out as Outstanding, while the quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all received Good marks. On the key academic metric for primary schools, 54% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure sits below the Hertfordshire local authority average of 64%, placing the school 17th out of 22 primary schools in Watford and in the bottom 50 nationally on this measure. Just 5% of pupils reached the higher standard across all three subjects, though individual subject scores were more encouraging: 76% achieved the expected standard in maths and 68% in reading.

Average scaled scores in reading and maths both came in at 103, exactly in line with the national benchmark. The school’s maths results were a relative strength, with 13% of pupils reaching the higher standard compared with 19% in reading and just 5% in writing. The Grove Academy has capacity for 710 pupils but currently enrols 486, and it was oversubscribed for Reception places in the 2025/26 admissions round, receiving 76 applications for 59 places, with 50 first-preference offers made. Parent View responses, collected between September 2024 and September 2025 from 37 respondents, show that 79% of parents would recommend the school, though opinions were sharply divided on some issues: 50% strongly disagreed that SEND children receive the support they need, and 43% said they would not recommend the school to another parent.

The school offers a sensory room, ICT suite, playing fields and art studios, with sports including athletics, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, cross country and cricket. Clubs cover book club, choir, coding and eco club. The Grove Academy provides nursery provision for children from age three and has a wide range of SEND provisions, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. For families weighing up their options, the nearest Outstanding-rated primary school is Parkgate Junior School, 1.1 kilometres away. The Grove Academy is a school that has clearly moved forward from a difficult period, but its mixed parent feedback and below-average combined attainment figures mean it is worth visiting and asking detailed questions about how the school supports both academic progress and SEND pupils day to day.

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