School Chooser

Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil426 pupilsNurseryHemel HempsteadHertfordshire
School Chooser Score
12
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 6 to 22, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 14% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, October 2024
Reached the expected level at 1151%England 63%
Attendance93.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families34%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull426 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher16.5School workforce census

Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery is a council school in Hemel Hempstead for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 426 pupils, 6 more than it has places for. About 34 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 12 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 14% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Galley Hill, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3JY01442 406000galleyhill.herts.sch.ukMrs Emily Birch head teacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 October 2024, 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.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

57 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1151%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level5%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 69%69%20172018: 98%98%20182019: 53%53%20192023: 44%44%20232024: 47%47%20242025: 51%51%2025
Since 2017: -18%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017HertfordshireEngland
Pupils tested576050454145
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths51%47%44%53%98%69%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths5%2%6%13%34%22%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0101.0104.0104.0110.0104.0106.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0102.0101.0102.0109.0107.0105.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0100.0102.0100.0112.0108.0106.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard61%58%68%76%100%69%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard63%62%58%58%98%89%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%65%64%87%100%78%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.2+0.4+3.1+0.6
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.7-1.9+3.4+3.6
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged30%33%33%48%100%67%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged62%52%54%59%97%70%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
30%62%
Gap 32 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
58%38%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
45%51%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%5%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Nearly full407 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
97% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

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. Every child who applied got a place (56 offers for 60 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary608656all offeredLA
2025 Primary607345all offeredLA
2024 Primary6091602.5 milesLA

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.

Pupils on roll426Census January 2026
Places420101% full
Pupils from low-income families33%34% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English23%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support21%89 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%16 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.915 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)35%£217,000 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls207 / 219
White British pupils65%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (32), language and communications needs (28), emotional and mental health (19), Specific learning difficulty (15), Hearing impairment (3), Physical disability (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll426432429433439438
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals33%30%30%27%27%24%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language23%21%21%20%19%18%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support23%22%22%13%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%3%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school22.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils6.92024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.9%6.4%7.3%7.7%3.5%5.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence6.0%5.4%6.1%6.6%3.0%4.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%0.9%1.2%1.1%0.5%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence22.0%21.9%23.2%26.6%9.2%9.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate6.91.41.93.91.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10100

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers25.4full-time equivalent, 26 people
Pupils per teacher16.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers96%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants18.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£45,559
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.32024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,623England £7,738. Total £2.8m
Income per pupil£6,489England £7,697. Total £2.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,297England £3,480
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £238k, £558 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£57kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,623spent per pupil

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

Crimes within 500 m36512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate120 per 1,000 people32% higher than the England average
Typical house price£450,000Dacorum
Nearest bus stop90 mRossgate Shops, 9 stops within 500 m

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 primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Cuthbert Mayne Voluntary Catholic Junior AcademyAcademy700 m247Not inspected78Compare
Micklem Primary SchoolCouncil750 m223Good 202315Compare
Gade Valley Primary SchoolCouncil820 m236Good 202251Compare
George Street Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles224Report card 202642Compare
Oakleaf PrimaryAcademy1.0 miles187Not inspected0Compare
Boxmoor Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles234Good 202476Compare
South Hill Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles417Good 202434Compare
St Rose's Catholic Infant SchoolAcademy1.1 miles197Good 202364Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery 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.

Beats14%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 12 is 25 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 37 · highest 92100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 12 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 12% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 22. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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 atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.18
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 57 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 1.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.18
DfE progress measure; 57 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.12
2024/25; 364 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.13
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 57 pupils
What parents say0%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 Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery a good school?

The figures are weak. Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery scores 12 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 14% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 22, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery not judged at its last full inspection on 8 October 2024.

How good are Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 51% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery have?

426 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 101% full.

Is Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery?

Pupils were in school 93.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery?

The average class had 27.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Galley Hill, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3JY
Telephone
01442 406000
Website
www.galleyhill.herts.sch.uk
Head Teacher
Mrs Emily Birch
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Hertfordshire
Ward
Gadebridge
Constituency
Hemel Hempstead
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2008 (result of amalgamation)
URN
135224 · LAESTAB 9193990 · UKPRN 10070323
Formerly
Rossgate Primary School, Martindale Primary and Nursery School

Where these figures come from