The Hemel Hempstead School

About The Hemel Hempstead School

The Hemel Hempstead School is a mixed state secondary and sixth form in Dacorum, Hertfordshire, serving 1,286 pupils aged 11 to 18. In the local authority, it ranks 56th out of 86 same-type schools by Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of Hertfordshire’s secondaries. Within Dacorum specifically, it sits 5th among nine schools, with a Progress 8 score of -0.14. The top-performing peers in the area are Sandringham School, Yavneh College, and Dame Alice Owen's School, all of which post significantly higher Progress 8 scores. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2022, rated it Good overall, with Good across all categories including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. Its previous inspection in 2011 also awarded a Good rating, so the school has maintained a consistent standard over time.

Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score of -0.14 is below the Hertfordshire local authority average of 0.18, meaning pupils make slightly less progress than peers across the county. Attainment 8 sits at 47.8, and 72.2% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though the figure drops to 45.8% for grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 4.22, with 30.7% of pupils entering the EBacc combination and 19.3% achieving a grade 5 or above in it. At A-level, the school’s value-added score is -0.05, classed as Average, with a points per entry of 30.9 (grade C) and 13% of pupils achieving AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects. The best three A-levels average out at a C+ grade, with 32.17 points. Nationally, the school ranks 1,868th out of 3,141 schools by Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of the country.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 837 applications for 213 places, with 245 first-preference applications and 182 first-preference offers — an oversubscription ratio of 3.93. Facilities include a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, a sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms, art studios, a chapel, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports offered range from rowing and rugby to dance and gymnastics, while clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, coding, debating, and Young Enterprise. The school has a broad SEND offer, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to severe learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. This is a practical, well-equipped school that suits families in Dacorum looking for a large, oversubscribed comprehensive with a strong extracurricular programme and a consistent Good rating, though its academic outcomes sit below the local average.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About The Hemel Hempstead School

Helpful Guides for Parents