School Chooser

Two Waters Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil236 pupilsNurseryHemel HempsteadHertfordshire
School Chooser Score
90
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 78 to 96
Out of 100. Better than 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, September 2024
Reached the expected level at 1181%England 63%
Attendance96.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families9%Far fewer than most schools
Places4 spare236 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher19.6School workforce census

Two Waters Primary School is a council school in Hemel Hempstead for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 236 pupils and room for 240. About 9 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 90 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

High Ridge Close, Apsley, High Ridge Close, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 0AU441442217893twowaters.herts.sch.ukMr Tim Gately headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 24 September 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”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1181%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level19%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score110.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score110.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 80%80%20172018: 77%77%20182019: 83%83%20192023: 72%72%20232024: 73%73%20242025: 81%81%2025
Since 2017: +1%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017HertfordshireEngland
Pupils tested313029293030
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths81%73%72%83%77%80%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths19%17%7%28%23%17%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score110.0109.0110.0109.0110.0107.0106.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score110.0109.0110.0108.0105.0107.0105.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0109.0107.0108.0107.0107.0106.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard94%93%93%90%87%87%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard90%93%90%100%77%83%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)81%80%72%86%87%83%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.9+1.9+1.2-1.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.0+0.1-2.4-1.4

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. Every gap at this school 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 11Boys vs girls
81%80%
Gap 1 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.

Full212 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
101% full

The school is full, with 2 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 280 m away in 2026, 550 m away in 2025, 440 m 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 280 m 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 Primary3012230280 mLA
2025 Primary3011630550 mLA
2024 Primary3012630440 mLA

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 440 m of the school costs

Typical sale price within 440 m of the school£490,000half sold for £380k to £553k
Homes sold56December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district+9%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 roll236Census January 2026
Places24098% full
Pupils from low-income families11%9% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English9%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support5%12 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.85 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils20%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)9%£29,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls122 / 114
White British pupils75%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.5 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: emotional and mental health (8), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), Hearing impairment (1), Other difficulty or disability (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll236236239239237230
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%8%2%3%3%4%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language9%10%13%13%14%11%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support4%5%3%3%4%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%1%3%3%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.0%4.0%4.2%4.9%2.0%3.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.2%3.2%3.3%4.1%1.7%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.8%0.9%0.9%0.8%0.3%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.4%6.0%7.1%12.5%3.8%2.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.50.40.00.00.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers11.7full-time equivalent, 14 people
Pupils per teacher19.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers86%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£45,520
Teachers who left in the year32%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.82024/25

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£6,638England £7,738. Total £1.5m
Income per pupil£6,432England £7,697. Total £1.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,920England £3,480
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £56k, £244 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£47kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,638spent 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 m14712 months to June 2026, mostly other theft
Local crime rate82 per 1,000 people10% lower than the England average
Typical house price£450,000Dacorum
Nearest bus stop390 mManorville Road, 4 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
Nash Mills Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England0.8 miles235Good 202267Compare
Belswains Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles431Good 202352Compare
Tudor Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles439Good 202276Compare
Lime Walk Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles212Good 20239Compare
The Reddings Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles208Not inspected30Compare
South Hill Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles417Good 202434Compare
Chambersbury Primary SchoolFoundation1.2 miles184Good 202211Compare
Boxmoor Primary SchoolCouncil1.3 miles234Good 202476Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Two Waters Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats80%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 90 is 12 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 6 · middle 78 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 90 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 90% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 78 to 96. 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%above
+0.26
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 31 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.09
Ofsted grade, 2.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.06
DfE progress measure; 31 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.06
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.07
2024/25; 192 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.14
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 31 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 Two Waters Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Two Waters Primary School scores 90 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 78 to 96, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Two Waters Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Two Waters Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 24 September 2024.

How good are Two Waters Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 81% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 19% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Two Waters Primary School have?

236 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 98% full.

Is Two Waters Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 280 m 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 Two Waters Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Two Waters Primary School?

The average class had 28.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 20% 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
High Ridge Close, Apsley, High Ridge Close, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 0AU
Telephone
441442217893
Website
www.twowaters.herts.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Tim Gately
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
Apsley and Corner Hall
Constituency
Hemel Hempstead
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
117108 · LAESTAB 9192044 · UKPRN 10079593

Where these figures come from