School Chooser

Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil450 pupilsNurseryHemel HempsteadHertfordshire
School Chooser Score
62
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 42 to 78
Out of 100. Better than 52% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, June 2023
Reached the expected level at 1172%England 63%
Attendance95.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families15%Far fewer than most schools
Places35 spare450 pupils, 485 places
Pupils per teacher25.5School workforce census

Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School is a council school in Hemel Hempstead for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 450 pupils and room for 485. About 15 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 62 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 52% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Peascroft Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 8ER01442 401222hobbshillwood.herts.sch.ukMiss Stephany Hunter headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 14 June 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1172%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 53%53%20172018: 63%63%20182019: 57%57%20192023: 68%68%20232024: 71%71%20242025: 72%72%2025
Since 2017: +19%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017HertfordshireEngland
Pupils tested605860606060
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths72%71%68%57%63%53%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%10%2%7%7%10%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0107.0106.0102.0104.0104.0106.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0107.0105.0106.0106.0104.0105.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0108.0106.0107.0108.0106.0106.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard77%79%80%63%75%67%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%79%78%78%77%67%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)78%79%78%82%77%63%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.6-1.5-2.1+1.2
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.6+1.0+0.8+0.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%77%46%53%36%36%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged76%69%74%58%69%57%

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. 1 of the 4 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
50%76%
Gap 26 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
61%85%
Gap 24 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
71%72%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%8%
Gap 8 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.

A few spare places422 pupils for 480 places, 2024/25
88% full

About 58 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 1.8 miles away in 2026, 2.5 miles away in 2025, 0.9 miles away in 2024. 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.

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60155601.8 milesLA
2025 Primary60146602.5 milesLA
2024 Primary60174600.9 milesLA

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 1.4 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.4 miles of the school£414,000half sold for £300k to £515k
Homes sold975December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-8%a typical home in the district sells for £450,000

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.

Pupils on roll450Census January 2026
Places48593% full
Pupils from low-income families14%15% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English24%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support15%68 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%15 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.015 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils13%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)15%£96,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls220 / 230
White British pupils56%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.1 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (29), emotional and mental health (19), Specific learning difficulty (13), Autistic spectrum disorder (12), Hearing impairment (3), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll450454455455462470
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals14%15%14%16%15%14%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language24%22%23%23%24%23%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%17%18%16%19%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%1%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.72024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission0.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.4%4.7%4.9%4.6%2.7%3.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.6%3.4%3.7%3.8%2.2%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.8%1.3%1.2%0.8%0.5%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.2%10.7%10.4%10.4%4.4%4.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.70.71.10.71.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

Staff and money

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

Teachers17.3full-time equivalent, 20 people
Pupils per teacher25.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants24.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,706
Teachers who left in the year3%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies1
Sick days per teacher6.62024/25

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£7,151England £7,738. Total £3.2m
Income per pupil£7,198England £7,697. Total £3.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,877England £3,480
Money in reserve18%A healthy amount put by: £589k, £1,324 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£21kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,151spent 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 m29112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate68 per 1,000 people25% lower than the England average
Typical house price£450,000Dacorum
Nearest bus stop100 mHobbs Hill Wood School, 12 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
Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy420 m204No overall grade 202525Compare
Chambersbury Primary SchoolFoundation550 m184Good 202211Compare
The Reddings Primary SchoolCouncil590 m208Not inspected30Compare
Lime Walk Primary SchoolCouncil850 m212Good 20239Compare
Belswains Primary SchoolCouncil980 m431Good 202352Compare
Leverstock Green Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England0.8 miles229Good 202465Compare
Tudor Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles439Good 202276Compare
Nash Mills Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England0.9 miles235Good 202267Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats52%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 62 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 59 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 62 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 62% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 42 to 78. 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%in line
+0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 60 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.00
DfE progress measure; 60 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.05
2024/25; 372 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 60 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 Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School scores 62 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 52% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 42 to 78, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School good at its last full inspection on 14 June 2023.

How good are Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 72% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School have?

450 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 485 places, so it is 93% full.

Is Hobbs Hill Wood Primary 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 Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School?

The average class had 30.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 13% of classes 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
Peascroft Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 8ER
Telephone
01442 401222
Website
www.hobbshillwood.herts.sch.uk
Headteacher
Miss Stephany Hunter
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
Leverstock Green
Constituency
Hemel Hempstead
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
117368 · LAESTAB 9192469 · UKPRN 10079528
Formerly
Hobbs Hill Wood Junior School, Hobbs Hill Wood Infants' School

Where these figures come from