School Chooser

Heron Hall Academy

Secondary · ages 11-19MixedFree school1,161 pupilsSixth formEnfield
School Chooser Score
40
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 31 to 50
Out of 100. Better than 50% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
Strong pass in English and maths31%England 46%
Attendance92.1%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families57%Far more than most schools
Places239 spare1,161 pupils, 1,400 places
Pupils per teacher17.6School workforce census
Average A level gradeD+2024/25

Heron Hall Academy is a free school in Enfield for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 1,161 pupils and room for 1,400. About 57 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 40 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 50% of the 50 schools most like it.

Queensway, Ponders End, Enfield, EN3 4SA020 8443 9631heronhallacademy.org.ukMr David Maytham headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

212 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score39.7
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths31%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths53%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.17In each subject, pupils here finished a little ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 46.546.520182019: 43.243.220192022: 49.949.920222023: 45.045.020232024: 44.144.120242025: 39.739.72025
Since 2018: -6.8Declining overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018EnfieldEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 112122122121498478
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 839.744.145.049.943.246.546.946.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.17+0.33+0.73+0.28+0.34
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths31%44%45%48%44%53%46%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths53%63%62%71%56%71%66%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.393.793.924.644.094.224.334.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry29%38%44%92%95%72%60%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged36.541.341.744.037.245.8
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged41.945.946.852.448.247.3
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers25.430.739.124.430.3
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers69.160.269.866.759.3

Subjects

Results came out for 21 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Physical Education (10% here, 56% across England), French (17% here, 60% across England), Religious Studies (32% here, 60% across England), Spanish (29% here, 54% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics212 entries · 17th of 21 in Enfield
34%England 53%
English Literature211 entries · 17th of 21 in Enfield
47%England 58%
English Language211 entries · 15th of 21 in Enfield
44%England 54%
Religious Studies209 entries · 14th of 16 in Enfield
32%England 60%
Combined Science182 entries · 18th of 20 in Enfield
17%England 36%
Social Studies104 entries · 9th of 11 in Enfield
43%England 54%
Geography96 entries · 11th of 21 in Enfield
43%England 51%
History64 entries · 11th of 21 in Enfield
48%England 52%
Other Modern Languages62 entries · 6th of 16 in Enfield
77%England 49%
Business56 entries · 9th of 13 in Enfield
32%England 51%
Computer Science40 entries · 11th of 16 in Enfield
40%England 56%
Biology30 entries · 14th of 15 in Enfield
77%England 82%
Physics30 entries · 13th of 15 in Enfield
77%England 82%
Chemistry30 entries · 11th of 15 in Enfield
80%England 81%
Drama29 entries · 3rd of 7 in Enfield
62%England 60%
Design & Technology25 entries · 9th of 10 in Enfield
36%England 50%
French23 entries · 15th of 16 in Enfield
17%England 60%
Spanish21 entries · 14th of 16 in Enfield
29%England 54%
Physical Education20 entries · 10th of 10 in Enfield
10%England 56%
Art and Design20 entries · 9th of 16 in Enfield
50%England 58%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics21213%34%56%53%2,798 of 3,211
English Literature21114%47%65%58%2,260 of 3,202
English Language21117%44%63%54%2,301 of 3,210
Religious Studies20910%32%44%60%1,721 of 1,825
Combined Science1823%17%29%36%2,758 of 3,084
Social Studies10411%43%69%54%726 of 1,043
Geography9613%43%58%51%1,922 of 3,116
History6419%48%64%52%1,724 of 3,126
Other Modern Languages6261%77%81%49%120 of 454
Business567%32%41%51%1,430 of 1,806
Computer Science403%40%43%56%1,356 of 1,861
Biology3030%77%97%82%1,781 of 2,570
Physics3033%77%87%82%1,735 of 2,546
Chemistry3037%80%97%81%1,567 of 2,537
Drama2917%62%93%60%437 of 844
Design & Technology254%36%48%50%1,020 of 1,478
French234%17%39%60%1,932 of 1,974
Spanish2119%29%38%54%1,720 of 1,941
Physical Education200%10%25%56%1,532 of 1,559
Art and Design2015%50%65%58%1,842 of 2,818
Music911%56%67%61%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

46 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeD+24.1 points per entry
A level progress-0.16Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better0%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished100%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure20252024
Students462
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry24.06
Average A level gradeD+z
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS23.44
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects0%
A level progressA level value added-0.16
Applied general courses: points per entry28.96
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed100%

A level subjects

8 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsMathematics17Turkish14Biology14Business Studies13Chemistry10Computer Science9Physics7Government and Politics5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Mathematics17 entries · 0% A* or A · 88% passed
0%England 60%
Turkish14 entries · 7% A* or A · 86% passed
36%England 56%
Biology14 entries · 0% A* or A · 93% passed
7%England 49%
Business Studies13 entries · 0% A* or A · 92% passed
15%England 47%
Chemistry10 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
10%England 53%
Computer Science9 entries · 11% A* or A · 100% passed
33%England 46%
Physics7 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
0%England 51%
Government and Politics5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 55%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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 GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
36.541.9
Gap 5.4England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
28%33%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
35.943.6
Gap 7.7England 3.0
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

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Plenty of spare places1,239 pupils for 1,680 places, 2024/25
74% full

441 places were empty (26% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 20% since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Enfield council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll1,161Census January 2026
Places1,40083% full
Pupils from low-income families56%57% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English59%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support20%231 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%82 pupils with a plan
Average class size19.850 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils6%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)56%£656,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls598 / 563
White British pupils7%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (115), language and communications needs (67), Autistic spectrum disorder (47), emotional and mental health (29), Moderate learning difficulty (25), Specific learning difficulty (15).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,1611,2391,1911,1071,048949
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals56%48%42%39%32%26%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language59%60%61%62%64%61%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%10%11%10%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%6%5%5%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance92.1%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school25.0%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils10.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.9%7.2%7.4%8.1%8.4%4.4%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.7%3.5%4.1%4.7%4.7%3.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.3%3.7%3.3%3.4%3.8%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence25.0%21.1%21.3%27.3%25.4%8.6%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate10.714.115.212.810.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions02142

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 212 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training93%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 89%, compared with 96% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training93%93%97%96%
Education92%91%94%93%
Apprenticeship1%1%1%2%
Work1%2%1%
Not in education, work or training2%3%2%2%

Staff and money

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

Teachers65.8full-time equivalent, 67 people
Pupils per teacher17.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers94%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants26.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,421
Teachers who left in the year24%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.22024/25

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.

Spend per pupil£8,105England £7,965. Total £10m
Income per pupil£9,488England £8,423. Total £12m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,871England £4,444
Money in reserve-15%In the red: -£1.7m, -£1,387 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£1.7mit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,105spent 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 m1,14812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate205 per 1,000 people125% higher than the England average
Typical house price£475,000Enfield
Nearest bus stop210 mSuffolk Road Enfield, 20 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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Kingsmead SchoolAcademy910 m1,484Report card 202633Compare
Oasis Academy HadleyAcademy970 m1,528Report card 202566Compare
Bishop Stopford's SchoolChurch of England0.8 miles554Good 202416Compare
AIM Academy North LondonAcademy0.9 miles630Good 202340Compare
Enfield Grammar SchoolAcademy1.5 miles1,004Good 202462Compare
Edmonton County SchoolAcademy1.5 miles2,091Good 202444Compare
Chace Community SchoolCouncil1.5 miles880Good 202226Compare
Ark John Keats AcademyFree school1.5 miles1,732Good 202372Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Heron Hall Academy 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.

Beats50%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 40 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 41 · highest 94100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Heron Hall Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Oasis Academy HadleyAcademy970 m1,528Report card 202566Compare
Walthamstow AcademyAcademy3.4 miles1,092Good 202272Compare
Ark AcademyAcademy11.3 miles1,639Report card 202683Compare
Southfields AcademyAcademy15.2 miles1,148Good 202374Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 40 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 40% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 31 to 50. 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 years20%below
-0.14
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 212 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.07
DfE progress measure; 212 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.09
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 1,180 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 212 pupils
What pupils do next5%in line
+0.00
212 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 Heron Hall Academy a good school?

It is about average. Heron Hall Academy scores 40 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 50% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 31 to 50, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

How good are Heron Hall Academy's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 31% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 39.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Heron Hall Academy have?

1,161 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,400 places, so it is 83% full.

Is Heron Hall Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 441 places were empty in 2024/25 (26% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Heron Hall Academy?

Pupils were in school 92.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 25% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Heron Hall Academy?

The average class had 19.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 6% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Heron Hall Academy have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was D+. 8 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

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

Contact and details

Address
Queensway, Ponders End, Enfield, EN3 4SA
Telephone
020 8443 9631
Website
www.heronhallacademy.org.uk
Headteacher
Mr David Maytham
Type of school
Free school (Free schools, free schools)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
North Star Community Trust Ltd (4 schools)
Local authority
Enfield
Ward
Ponders End
Constituency
Enfield North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
2 September 2013 (new provision)
URN
139599 · LAESTAB 3084000 · UKPRN 10041678

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from