Avanti Grange Secondary School
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Avanti Grange Secondary School is a free school in Bishops Stortford for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 660 pupils and room for 1,200. About 10 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 94 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.
Newland Avenue, Bishops Stortford, CM23 2BD01279 211721avanti.org.uk/avantigrangeMr Ben Martin headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 7 May 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
0 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
The government hasn't published this school's headline results. Fewer than eleven pupils sat the exams, so the figures could identify individual children.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
727 places were empty (61% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.
The last child to get a place lived 1.8 miles away in 2026, 3.6 miles away in 2025, 8.2 miles away in 2023. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 1.8 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 180 | 820 | 180 | 1.8 miles | LA |
| 2025 Secondary | 180 | 674 | 180 | 3.6 miles | LA |
| 2024 Secondary | 180 | 597 | 180 | over 25 miles | LA |
| 2023 Secondary | 180 | 621 | 180 | 8.2 miles | LA |
The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.
What a home within 1.8 miles of the school costs
Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 13 pupils, for autism, speech, language and communication.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Hertfordshire with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (49), emotional and mental health (32), Autistic spectrum disorder (27), Moderate learning difficulty (7), language and communications needs (6), Physical disability (3).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 660 | 464 | 297 | 107 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 10% | 11% | 9% | 12% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 9% | 9% | 11% | 12% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 14% | 12% | 14% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 5.3% | 4.6% | 5.2% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.4% | 4.3% | 4.1% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 0.9% | 0.3% | 1.2% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 11.8% | 9.9% | 11.2% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 8.8 | 5.7 | 1.9 | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Catholic School | Academy | 1.0 miles | 1,106 | No overall grade 2024 | 89 | Compare |
| Hockerill Anglo-European College | Academy | 1.3 miles | 903 | Good 2022 | 86 | Compare |
| TLC Live Online School | Online provider | 1.4 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College | Academy | 1.4 miles | 1,508 | Outstanding 2023 | 90 | Compare |
| Birchwood High School | Academy | 1.5 miles | 1,417 | No overall grade 2025 | 38 | Compare |
| The Bishop's Stortford High School | Foundation | 2.4 miles | 1,279 | Outstanding 2023 | 87 | Compare |
| Forest Hall School | Academy | 2.5 miles | 506 | Report card 2026 | 31 | Compare |
| Leventhorpe | Academy | 4.4 miles | 1,463 | Good 2024 | 54 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Avanti Grange Secondary School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 94 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 94% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 88 to 98. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well above | +0.80 | Ofsted grade, 1.4 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 0% | no data | – | |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.10 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well above | +0.28 | 2024/25; 492 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 0% | no data | – | |
| What pupils do next | 0% | no data | – | |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Avanti Grange Secondary School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Avanti Grange Secondary School scores 94 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 88 to 98, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Avanti Grange Secondary School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Avanti Grange Secondary School not judged at its last full inspection on 7 May 2025.
How many pupils does Avanti Grange Secondary School have?
660 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,200 places, so it is 55% full.
Is Avanti Grange Secondary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.8 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Avanti Grange Secondary School?
Pupils were in school 94.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Avanti Grange Secondary School?
The average class had 27.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 27% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Avanti Grange Secondary School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism, speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Avanti Grange Secondary School have a sixth form?
Yes.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Newland Avenue, Bishops Stortford, CM23 2BD
- Telephone
- 01279 211721
- Website
- avanti.org.uk/avantigrange
- Headteacher
- Mr Ben Martin
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Avanti Schools Trust (12 schools)
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Ward
- Bishop's Stortford North
- Constituency
- Hertford and Stortford
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2022 (academy free school)
- URN
- 149078 · LAESTAB 9194037 · UKPRN 10090860
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Hertfordshire council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.