School Chooser

Laureate Academy

Secondary · ages 11-18MixedAcademy703 pupilsSixth formHemel HempsteadHertfordshire
School Chooser Score
22
Below
similar schools
Likely range 17 to 31
Out of 100. Better than 50% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Strong pass in English and maths39%England 46%
Attendance86.2%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families39%Far more than most schools
Places532 spare703 pupils, 1,235 places
Pupils per teacher14.4School workforce census

Laureate Academy is a sponsored academy in Hemel Hempstead for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 703 pupils and room for 1,235. About 39 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 22 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 50% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Warners End Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3DW01442 404333laureate.futureacademies.orgMs Ruthie Jacobs headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 20 June 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

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
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

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

Average GCSE score41.7
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths39%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths58%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.22In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind 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: 40.340.320182019: 40.240.220192022: 41.841.820222023: 39.339.320232024: 41.741.720242025: 41.741.72025
Since 2018: +1.4Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320222019†2018†HertfordshireEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11138144147117113130
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 841.741.739.341.840.240.350.946.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.22-0.74-0.35-0.49-0.44
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths39%35%29%35%27%33%53%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths58%57%52%50%49%54%72%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.823.963.763.893.343.374.584.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry29%49%63%54%12%28%47%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged32.035.530.634.530.036.6
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged47.845.042.945.543.742.1
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers26.926.830.227.117.4
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers62.651.168.553.454.0

† These results are for The Cavendish School, the school this one replaced in January 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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.

Strongest subjects

Computer Science88%grades 9 to 5, England 56%
Geography67%grades 9 to 5, England 51% · 532nd of 3,116 schools
Religious Studies72%grades 9 to 5, England 60%

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Art and Design (14% here, 58% across England), Drama (29% here, 60% across England), History (32% here, 52% across England), Business (31% here, 51% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 3 languages, computer science, music, classics.

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

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics137 entries · 55th of 78 in Hertfordshire
49%England 53%
English Language137 entries · 65th of 78 in Hertfordshire
43%England 54%
English Literature135 entries · 59th of 78 in Hertfordshire
47%England 58%
Combined Science102 entries · 57th of 77 in Hertfordshire
29%England 36%
Geography55 entries · 27th of 77 in Hertfordshire
67%England 51%
Business36 entries · 55th of 63 in Hertfordshire
31%England 51%
French32 entries · 46th of 58 in Hertfordshire
59%England 60%
Physics32 entries · 37th of 68 in Hertfordshire
91%England 82%
Physical Education32 entries · 46th of 53 in Hertfordshire
38%England 56%
Biology31 entries · 39th of 69 in Hertfordshire
90%England 82%
Chemistry31 entries · 47th of 68 in Hertfordshire
84%England 81%
Art and Design28 entries · 72nd of 72 in Hertfordshire
14%England 58%
History22 entries · 73rd of 76 in Hertfordshire
32%England 52%
German21 entries · 24th of 27 in Hertfordshire
48%England 63%
Drama21 entries · 38th of 38 in Hertfordshire
29%England 60%
72%England 60%
88%England 56%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics13723%49%64%53%1,768 of 3,211
English Language13718%43%61%54%2,340 of 3,210
English Literature13511%47%66%58%2,216 of 3,202
Combined Science1028%29%45%36%1,919 of 3,084
Geography5529%67%75%51%532 of 3,116
Business360%31%50%51%1,475 of 1,806
French3231%59%72%60%1,097 of 1,974
Physics3250%91%94%82%1,059 of 2,546
Physical Education323%38%47%56%1,221 of 1,559
Biology3152%90%100%82%1,094 of 2,570
Chemistry3142%84%90%81%1,410 of 2,537
Art and Design287%14%32%58%2,755 of 2,818
History2218%32%46%52%2,703 of 3,126
German2119%48%62%63%436 of 571
Drama210%29%48%60%776 of 844
Religious Studies186%72%83%60%
Computer Science1759%88%100%56%
Latin888%100%100%82%
Music743%43%86%61%
Other Modern Languages60%0%0%49%
Ancient History650%83%83%55%

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

30 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC+32.0 points per entry
A level progress+0.06Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better13%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished89%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232022
Students30271526
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry32.0325.1728.9519.71
Average A level gradeC+C-CD
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS32.1724.0727.5018.50
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects13%0%8%0%
A level progressA level value added+0.06-0.24
Applied general courses: points per entry28.75
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed89%76%88%

A level subjects

9 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.
SubjectsChemistry10Biology9Psychology8Physics6Mathematics6History6English Literature6Business Studies6Classical Civilisation5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Chemistry10 entries · 20% A* or A · 100% passed
30%England 53%
Biology9 entries · 22% A* or A · 100% passed
22%England 49%
Psychology8 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
13%England 46%
Physics6 entries · 33% A* or A · 100% passed
83%England 51%
Mathematics6 entries · 33% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 60%
History6 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
17%England 55%
English Literature6 entries · 17% A* or A · 100% passed
33%England 52%
Business Studies6 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
17%England 47%
Classical Civilisation5 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. 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 GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
32.047.8
Gap 15.8England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
25%48%
Gap 24 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
39.443.6
Gap 4.2England 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

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places745 pupils for 1,243 places, 2024/25
60% full

498 places were empty (40% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. 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 (188 offers for 210 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Secondary210218188all offeredLA
2025 Secondary2102322175.3 miles (catchment area)LA
2024 Secondary210278177all offeredLA
2023 Secondary210267182all offeredLA
2022 Secondary210276157all offeredLA

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 roll703Census January 2026
Places1,23557% full
Pupils from low-income families38%39% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English21%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support20%138 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%14 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.729 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils24%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)40%£293,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls346 / 357
White British pupils58%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (54), Specific learning difficulty (29), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (28), Autistic spectrum disorder (26), language and communications needs (7), Moderate learning difficulty (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll703746752754756706
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals38%36%34%32%27%25%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language21%22%20%18%17%15%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%15%15%16%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 86.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance86.2%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school37.4%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils87.52024/25, 5 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission8.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence13.8%14.8%13.1%11.5%6.5%6.9%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.7%5.9%8.6%7.3%4.2%4.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence8.2%8.9%4.6%4.3%2.3%2.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence37.4%39.7%35.5%37.0%20.1%20.7%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate87.576.967.220.032.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions58510

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 147 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training86%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 77%, compared with 89% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training86%87%91%89%
Education80%81%82%85%
Apprenticeship3%3%4%1%
Work3%3%5%3%
Not in education, work or training9%10%6%10%

After sixth form

Where the 14 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training79%and stayed there for at least six months

Where the ones heading for university went

Went on to degree-level study or training62%England 72%
Top-third universities0%England 22%. The universities that ask for the highest grades
Higher or degree apprenticeship0%England 6%
Higher technical course0%Level 4 or 5, such as an HNC or HND

Among students from low-income families, 67% went on to degree-level study or training and 0% to a top-third university.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training79%81%78%
Education64%54%33%
Apprenticeship0%12%11%
Work14%15%33%
Not in education, work or training14%15%22%

Staff and money

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

Teachers48.9full-time equivalent, 53 people
Pupils per teacher14.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers76%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,674
Teachers who left in the year36%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.62024/25

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£7,973England £7,965. Total £5.9m
Income per pupil£8,437England £8,423. Total £6.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,066England £4,444
Money in reserve13%A healthy amount put by: £796k, £1,067 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£346kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,973spent 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 m15912 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 mLaureate Academy, 8 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
The Hemel Hempstead SchoolAcademy980 m1,287Report card 202648Compare
John F Kennedy Catholic SchoolAcademy0.7 miles1,073Report card 202660Compare
The Adeyfield AcademyAcademy1.5 miles858Good 202311Compare
The Astley Cooper SchoolFoundation2.0 miles914Report card 20264Compare
Longdean SchoolAcademy2.0 miles1,436Not inspected28Compare
Kings Langley SchoolAcademy3.0 miles1,122Good 202457Compare
Ashlyns SchoolFoundation3.5 miles1,561Good 202382Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Laureate 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 22 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 23 · highest 62100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 22 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 22% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 17 to 31. 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
-0.13
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 138 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.12
DfE progress measure; 138 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.04
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.20
2024/25; 752 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.02
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 138 pupils
What pupils do next5%below
-0.04
147 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 Laureate Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Laureate Academy scores 22 out of 100. That is below 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 17 to 31, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Laureate Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Laureate Academy good at its last full inspection on 20 June 2023.

How good are Laureate Academy's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 39% 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 41.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Laureate Academy have?

703 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,235 places, so it is 57% full.

Is Laureate Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 498 places were empty in 2024/25 (40% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Laureate Academy?

Pupils were in school 86.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 37% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Laureate Academy?

The average class had 22.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 24% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Laureate Academy have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C+. 9 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
Warners End Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3DW
Telephone
01442 404333
Website
www.laureate.futureacademies.org
Headteacher
Ms Ruthie Jacobs
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Future Academies (11 schools)
Local authority
Hertfordshire
Ward
Gadebridge
Constituency
Hemel Hempstead
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 2019 (new provision)
URN
146440 · LAESTAB 9194033 · UKPRN 10081433
Formerly
The Cavendish School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from