What did Ofsted judge Hertswood Academy's quality of education to be?

Ofsted judged Hertswood Academy's quality of education as Good at its inspection in February 2025, on Ofsted's own scale.

How many pupils attend Hertswood Academy?

Hertswood Academy has 1,144 pupils on roll.

What ages does Hertswood Academy take?

Hertswood Academy admits pupils aged 11 to 18.

Where is Hertswood Academy located?

Hertswood Academy is located in Borehamwood, WD6 5LG, Hertfordshire.

How do I apply to Hertswood Academy?

Hertswood Academy is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.

How close do you need to live to get into Hertswood Academy?

Distance did not decide places at Hertswood Academy for 2026-27 (Year 7): every applicant who applied on time was offered a place, so there was no cut-off distance. This changes year to year; check the current year's figures before relying on it.

How are Year 7 places decided at Hertswood Academy?

When Hertswood Academy has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after / previously looked after children — Children looked after and children who were previously looked after, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England, and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. Previously looked after children are those who were looked after but ceased to be so because of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangement order or a special guardianship order; 2. Medical or social reason — Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social reason to attend Hertswood Academy. A panel of HCC officers will determine whether the evidence provided is sufficiently compelling to meet the requirements for this rule. The evidence must relate specifically to Hertswood Academy under Rule 2 and must clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet the child's needs; 3. Sibling — Children with a sibling at the academy at the time of application, who will still be on roll at the time of the child's admission into the academy, and 2 further criteria. The school offers 270 places at this entry point. Tie-break: Where a final tie-break is needed where 2 different addresses measure the same distance from school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest. If there are two identical addresses or distances of separate applicants, both will be offered a place. Every child entered onto the HCC database has an individual random number assigned between 1 and 1 million; when a final tie-break is needed the random number is used to allocate the place, with the lowest number given priority.

What is the largest ethnic background at Hertswood Academy?

According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 49.1% of pupils at Hertswood Academy are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

Hertswood Academy: Ofsted, Results & Catchment 2026

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Hertfordshire

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Hertfordshire

How close did you need to live?

Distance did not decide places here

Every applicant who applied on time was offered a place for 2026-27 (Year 7), so there was no cut-off distance. This changes from year to year; check the current year's figures before relying on it.

Last distance offered at Hertswood Academy, year by year →

How places are decided at Hertswood Academy

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked after / previously looked after children — Children looked after and children who were previously looked after, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England, and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. Previously looked after children are those who were looked after but ceased to be so because of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangement order or a special guardianship order.
2Medical or social reason — Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social reason to attend Hertswood Academy. A panel of HCC officers will determine whether the evidence provided is sufficiently compelling to meet the requirements for this rule. The evidence must relate specifically to Hertswood Academy under Rule 2 and must clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet the child's needs.
3Sibling — Children with a sibling at the academy at the time of application, who will still be on roll at the time of the child's admission into the academy.
4Children of staff — Priority to children of staff employed on a permanent contract at the academy for two years or more or where the member of staff has been recruited to meet a demonstrable skills shortage.
5Distance — Other children by distance from the academy, with priority being given to those children who live nearest to the academy. A 'straight line' distance measurement is used in all home to school distance measurements.

If two applications tie: Where a final tie-break is needed where 2 different addresses measure the same distance from school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest. If there are two identical addresses or distances of separate applicants, both will be offered a place. Every child entered onto the HCC database has an individual random number assigned between 1 and 1 million; when a final tie-break is needed the random number is used to allocate the place, with the lowest number given priority.

Document also includes Sixth Form (Year 12) admission arrangements with a separate PAN of 125 (15 for external candidates) and its own oversubscription criteria, plus detailed In-Year admissions, address/fraud, and overseas application guidance not part of the main criteria list.

Published by the admission authority. Meeting a criterion never guarantees a place — it sets the order places are offered in. Full detail, other entry points and previous years are on the Admissions tab.

Hertswood Academy: key facts

What did Ofsted judge Hertswood Academy's quality of education to be?: Ofsted judged Hertswood Academy's quality of education as Good at its inspection in February 2025, on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend Hertswood Academy?: Hertswood Academy has 1,144 pupils on roll.
What ages does Hertswood Academy take?: Hertswood Academy admits pupils aged 11 to 18.
Where is Hertswood Academy located?: Hertswood Academy is located in Borehamwood, WD6 5LG, Hertfordshire.
How do I apply to Hertswood Academy?: Hertswood Academy is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
How close do you need to live to get into Hertswood Academy?: Distance did not decide places at Hertswood Academy for 2026-27 (Year 7): every applicant who applied on time was offered a place, so there was no cut-off distance. This changes year to year; check the current year's figures before relying on it.
How are Year 7 places decided at Hertswood Academy?: When Hertswood Academy has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after / previously looked after children — Children looked after and children who were previously looked after, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England, and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. Previously looked after children are those who were looked after but ceased to be so because of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangement order or a special guardianship order; 2. Medical or social reason — Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social reason to attend Hertswood Academy. A panel of HCC officers will determine whether the evidence provided is sufficiently compelling to meet the requirements for this rule. The evidence must relate specifically to Hertswood Academy under Rule 2 and must clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet the child's needs; 3. Sibling — Children with a sibling at the academy at the time of application, who will still be on roll at the time of the child's admission into the academy, and 2 further criteria. The school offers 270 places at this entry point. Tie-break: Where a final tie-break is needed where 2 different addresses measure the same distance from school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest. If there are two identical addresses or distances of separate applicants, both will be offered a place. Every child entered onto the HCC database has an individual random number assigned between 1 and 1 million; when a final tie-break is needed the random number is used to allocate the place, with the lowest number given priority.
What is the largest ethnic background at Hertswood Academy?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 49.1% of pupils at Hertswood Academy are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

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How close did you need to live?

Distance did not decide places here

Every applicant who applied on time was offered a place for 2026-27 (Year 7), so there was no cut-off distance. This changes from year to year; check the current year's figures before relying on it.

Last distance offered at Hertswood Academy, year by year →

How places are decided at Hertswood Academy

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked after / previously looked after children — Children looked after and children who were previously looked after, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England, and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. Previously looked after children are those who were looked after but ceased to be so because of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangement order or a special guardianship order.
2Medical or social reason — Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social reason to attend Hertswood Academy. A panel of HCC officers will determine whether the evidence provided is sufficiently compelling to meet the requirements for this rule. The evidence must relate specifically to Hertswood Academy under Rule 2 and must clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet the child's needs.
3Sibling — Children with a sibling at the academy at the time of application, who will still be on roll at the time of the child's admission into the academy.
4Children of staff — Priority to children of staff employed on a permanent contract at the academy for two years or more or where the member of staff has been recruited to meet a demonstrable skills shortage.
5Distance — Other children by distance from the academy, with priority being given to those children who live nearest to the academy. A 'straight line' distance measurement is used in all home to school distance measurements.

Hertswood Academy: key facts

What did Ofsted judge Hertswood Academy's quality of education to be?: Ofsted judged Hertswood Academy's quality of education as Good at its inspection in February 2025, on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend Hertswood Academy?: Hertswood Academy has 1,144 pupils on roll.
What ages does Hertswood Academy take?: Hertswood Academy admits pupils aged 11 to 18.
Where is Hertswood Academy located?: Hertswood Academy is located in Borehamwood, WD6 5LG, Hertfordshire.
How do I apply to Hertswood Academy?: Hertswood Academy is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
How close do you need to live to get into Hertswood Academy?: Distance did not decide places at Hertswood Academy for 2026-27 (Year 7): every applicant who applied on time was offered a place, so there was no cut-off distance. This changes year to year; check the current year's figures before relying on it.
How are Year 7 places decided at Hertswood Academy?: When Hertswood Academy has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after / previously looked after children — Children looked after and children who were previously looked after, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England, and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. Previously looked after children are those who were looked after but ceased to be so because of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangement order or a special guardianship order; 2. Medical or social reason — Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social reason to attend Hertswood Academy. A panel of HCC officers will determine whether the evidence provided is sufficiently compelling to meet the requirements for this rule. The evidence must relate specifically to Hertswood Academy under Rule 2 and must clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet the child's needs; 3. Sibling — Children with a sibling at the academy at the time of application, who will still be on roll at the time of the child's admission into the academy, and 2 further criteria. The school offers 270 places at this entry point. Tie-break: Where a final tie-break is needed where 2 different addresses measure the same distance from school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest. If there are two identical addresses or distances of separate applicants, both will be offered a place. Every child entered onto the HCC database has an individual random number assigned between 1 and 1 million; when a final tie-break is needed the random number is used to allocate the place, with the lowest number given priority.
What is the largest ethnic background at Hertswood Academy?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 49.1% of pupils at Hertswood Academy are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

Same phase, ranked by distance and how closely they match.

Hertswood Academy

How close did you need to live?

How places are decided at Hertswood Academy

Hertswood Academy: key facts

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