Simon Balle All-Through School
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Simon Balle All-Through School is a converter academy in Hertford for boys and girls aged 4 to 18. It has 1,617 pupils, 580 more than it has places for. About 10 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 92 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 98% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2024.
Mangrove Road, Hertford, SG13 8AJ01992 410400simonballe.herts.sch.ukRachel Kirk and Mike Moss headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 25 April 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Outstanding 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
GCSE results, summer 2025
177 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 177 | 176 | 171 | 177 | 165 | 164 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 55.4 | 52.9 | 48.6 | 54.5 | 56.2 | 52.7 | 50.9 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.45 | +0.03 | +0.27 | +0.27 | +0.21 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 64% | 60% | 53% | 63% | 70% | 52% | 53% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 84% | 82% | 75% | 80% | 86% | 77% | 72% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.99 | 4.73 | 4.28 | 4.72 | 5.13 | 4.69 | 4.58 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 49% | 46% | 33% | 28% | 53% | 40% | 47% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 48.1 | 38.0 | 30.3 | 40.8 | 45.5 | 38.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 56.3 | 54.2 | 53.1 | 56.8 | 57.2 | 54.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 37.7 | 25.8 | 31.7 | 20.3 | 30.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 69.8 | 67.3 | 73.2 | 62.8 | 64.1 | – | – |
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
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 177 | 29% | 73% | 89% | 53% | 358 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 177 | 22% | 66% | 83% | 58% | 894 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 177 | 27% | 66% | 85% | 54% | 653 of 3,210 |
| Geography | 113 | 26% | 65% | 76% | 51% | 638 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 100 | 24% | 62% | 79% | 58% | 1,246 of 2,818 |
| Business | 98 | 20% | 60% | 69% | 51% | 524 of 1,806 |
| Biology | 94 | 37% | 82% | 93% | 82% | 1,553 of 2,570 |
| Physics | 94 | 36% | 75% | 87% | 82% | 1,814 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 93 | 39% | 79% | 87% | 81% | 1,623 of 2,537 |
| Combined Science | 83 | 15% | 45% | 58% | 36% | 825 of 3,084 |
| History | 56 | 34% | 59% | 73% | 52% | 987 of 3,126 |
| Social Studies | 45 | 38% | 62% | 71% | 54% | 356 of 1,043 |
| Spanish | 43 | 40% | 63% | 77% | 54% | 695 of 1,941 |
| French | 41 | 44% | 68% | 78% | 60% | 769 of 1,974 |
| Physical Education | 36 | 25% | 61% | 72% | 56% | 655 of 1,559 |
| Computer Science | 28 | 43% | 50% | 71% | 56% | 1,026 of 1,861 |
| Music | 16 | 44% | 88% | 100% | 61% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 13 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 49% | – |
| Religious Studies | 13 | 54% | 77% | 77% | 60% | – |
| Statistics | 12 | 58% | 92% | 100% | 51% | – |
| Drama | 8 | 38% | 63% | 100% | 60% | – |
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.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
64 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 64 | 63 | 60 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 84% | 75% | 85% | 64% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 33% | 19% | 30% | 10% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 110.0 | 107.0 | 109.0 | 106.6 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 110.0 | 106.0 | 108.0 | 105.2 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 110.0 | 108.0 | 108.0 | 106.1 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 91% | 84% | 88% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 95% | 83% | 90% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 88% | 92% | 92% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +1.8 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | +2.3 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 67% | 67% | 63% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 87% | 75% | 88% | – | – |
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.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
105 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 105 | 149 | 135 | 133 | 304 | 303 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 38.82 | 39.98 | 35.79 | 39.48 | 36.39 | 37.08 |
| Average A level grade | B | B | B- | B | B- | B- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 39.80 | 40.64 | 36.63 | 40.83 | 38.72 | 36.96 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 28% | 21% | 19% | 31% | 22% | 26% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.28 | +0.43 | – | – | +0.08 | +0.15 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 28.75 | 31.34 | 30.34 | 34.38 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 96% | 93% | 99% | 97% | 93% | 91% |
A level subjects
18 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.
Strongest A levels
Every A level subject against England, 2025
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. 3 of the 6 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
At the end of primary school, 2025
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.
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.
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 Hertfordshire 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.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.5 pupils (England 26.2); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 32.0 (England 28.2).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (71), Specific learning difficulty (63), Autistic spectrum disorder (50), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (31), language and communications needs (26), Moderate learning difficulty (6).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,617 | 1,561 | 1,561 | 1,597 | 1,587 | 1,545 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 9% | 10% | 9% | 10% | 8% | 7% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 7% | 7% | 6% | 5% | 4% | 3% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 10% | 10% | 9% | 9% | 7% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 5.0% | 5.4% | 6.4% | 8.1% | 3.7% | 4.1% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.8% | 4.2% | 5.1% | 6.8% | 3.1% | 3.6% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.6% | 0.6% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 10.8% | 10.5% | 14.2% | 22.1% | 7.6% | 8.2% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 171 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 91%, compared with 97% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 96% | 97% | 96% | 94% |
| Education | 94% | 94% | 91% | 90% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Work | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Not in education, work or training | 3% | 2% | 3% | 5% |
After sixth form
Where the 132 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 91%, compared with 83% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 57% went on to degree-level study or training.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 83% | 96% | 91% | – |
| Education | 50% | 69% | 71% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 9% | 8% | 2% | 4% |
| Work | 24% | 19% | 19% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 9% | 5% | 6% | – |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abel Smith School | Council | 360 m | 226 | Outstanding 2024 | 88 | Compare |
| Richard Hale School | Academy | 590 m | 1,207 | Good 2024 | 81 | Compare |
| Morgans Primary School & Nursery | Council | 920 m | 346 | Good 2023 | 33 | Compare |
| Wheatcroft Primary School | Council | 0.8 miles | 319 | Good 2023 | 51 | Compare |
| Mill Mead Primary Academy | Academy | 0.8 miles | 216 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Duncombe School | Independent | 0.8 miles | 230 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Bengeo Primary School | Council | 1.2 miles | 449 | Outstanding 2023 | 89 | Compare |
| Hertford Prep | Independent | 1.2 miles | 130 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Simon Balle All-Through 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 92 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 92% 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 94. 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 | 20% | above | +0.13 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 177 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well above | +0.34 | Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.16 | DfE progress measure; 177 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.14 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well above | +0.14 | 2024/25; 1,302 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | above | +0.08 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 177 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.04 | 171 pupils |
| 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 Simon Balle All-Through School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Simon Balle All-Through School scores 92 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 98% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 88 to 94, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Simon Balle All-Through School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Simon Balle All-Through School outstanding at its last full inspection on 25 April 2024.
How good are Simon Balle All-Through School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 64% 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 55.4, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How good are Simon Balle All-Through School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 84% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 33% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Simon Balle All-Through School have?
1,617 pupils aged 4 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,037 places, so it is 156% full.
Is Simon Balle All-Through School oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at Simon Balle All-Through School?
Pupils were in school 95.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 11% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Simon Balle All-Through School?
The average class had 23.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 36% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Simon Balle All-Through School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B. 18 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
- Mangrove Road, Hertford, SG13 8AJ
- Telephone
- 01992 410400
- Website
- www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Rachel Kirk and Mike Moss
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- All-through school, ages 4-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- The Laurel Education Trust (2 schools)
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Ward
- Hertford Castle
- Constituency
- Hertford and Stortford
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 November 2013 (academy converter)
- URN
- 140294 · LAESTAB 9194067 · UKPRN 10043914
- Formerly
- Simon Balle School
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.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- 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.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- 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.