Ofsted: Outstanding trending_up Popular emoji_events #10 in Hertfordshire public Top 3% UK

Sir John Lawes School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Philip Newbery

corporate_fareSCHOLARS' EDUCATION TRUST

location_onHarpenden, AL5 4QP

language Visit Website phone 1582760043

verified

Ofsted

Outstanding

Inspected 2023

groups

Students

1,342

trending_up

Attainment 8

62.8

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GCSE Rank

#9 in Hertfordshire

#190 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

Sir John Lawes School is a Academy converter secondary school in Harpenden, serving ages 11-18. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted — the highest possible grade. Demand is above capacity (1.2×) — apply through your local authority on time.

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School Summary

Sir John Lawes School is an academy converter in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of SCHOLARS' EDUCATION TRUST. The school has approximately 1,356 pupils on roll, of whom 9% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 62.8, placing the school #9 in Hertfordshire and #190 of 3,216 nationally. 75.50% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 45.6% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 25 A-level subjects. 75.2% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 43.9% at A*–A. A-level value added: +0.18 — students made above-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2023. The school's current overall rating is Outstanding. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Outstanding, behaviour and attitudes Outstanding, personal development Outstanding, and leadership and management Outstanding.

The school is oversubscribed — in the most recent cycle, there were 1.2× as many applications as places, making a successful application competitive.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 18.2:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 0.5 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

62.8

Grade 5+ E&M

75.50%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)45.6%

Entering EBacc52.10%

EBacc APS5.74

2024

Progress 8 Score

0.79

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

62.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc45.20%

EBacc APS5.6

2023

Progress 8 Score

0.79

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

61.0

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc50%

EBacc APS5.51

2022

Progress 8 Score

0.77

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

63.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc48%

EBacc APS5.73

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc50%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

0.58

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc58%

EBacc APS5.59

2018

Progress 8 Score

0.48

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

58.8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc48%

EBacc APS5.31

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)96%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment0%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

98%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)95%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

96%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)93%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

98%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)97%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

99%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)96%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)1%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

+0.18

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make above-average progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

B+

Students

149

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*17.2%

Achieving A*–A43.9%

Achieving A*–B75.2%

VA Banding Above average

Retention rate98.7%

A-level subjects offered25

2024

A-Level Value Added

+0.14

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make above-average progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

Students

162

Retention rate98.10%

2023

Avg Grade

Students

165

Retention rate98.20%

2022

Avg Grade

B+

Students

156

Retention rate98.7%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

28 March 2023

Inspection Report

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14 February 2012

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

2 Evaluations

2023-03-28

S5 Inspection EIF

Outstanding

Education

Outstanding

Behaviour

Outstanding

Development

Outstanding

Leadership

Outstanding

2008-02-27

Section 5 RTI Historic EIF

Outstanding

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Outstanding

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

0.5%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

0.4%(6 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,356 pupils. During this period, there were 7 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 0.5%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,356	7	0.5%	7.3%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,353	6	0.4%	7.8%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,341	6	0.4%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,347	6	0.4%	7.1%	1
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,351	14	1.0%	8.2%	0
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,349	9	0.7%	6.6%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,342	19	1.4%	6.4%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,346	12	0.9%	5.9%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,334	17	1.3%	4.7%	1
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,335	14	1.0%	4.9%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,335	10	0.7%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,334	11	0.8%	3.6%	1
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,334	0	0.0%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,333	12	0.9%	3.9%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,329	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,329	14	1.1%	3.2%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,331	10	0.8%	4.2%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,277	6	0.5%	3.1%	0
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,277	9	0.7%	3.8%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,282	8	0.6%	3.8%	1
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,238	15	1.2%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,246	17	1.4%	3.0%	1
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,245	18	1.4%	3.7%	0
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,240	9	0.7%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,237	15	1.2%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,241	19	1.5%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Specific Learning Difficulty 71 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 39 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 39 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 11 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 9 pupils

Physical Disability 7 pupils

Hearing Impairment 4 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 4 pupils

Visual Impairment 2 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

96.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

97.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

14.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree71%

agree27%

disagree1%

strongly disagree1%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree45%

agree38%

disagree11%

strongly disagree3%

don't know4%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree46%

agree15%

disagree3%

strongly disagree1%

don't know1%

not applicable33%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

yes20%

no80%

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

strongly agree55%

agree30%

disagree10%

strongly disagree4%

dont know1%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree73%

agree22%

disagree3%

strongly disagree1%

don't know1%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree71%

agree25%

disagree3%

strongly disagree1%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree64%

agree31%

disagree4%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree81%

agree18%

disagree1%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree84%

agree15%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree66%

agree27%

disagree4%

strongly disagree1%

don't know2%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes97%

no3%

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School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Hertfordshire

Dame Alice Owen's School

Watford Grammar School for Boys

Watford Grammar School for Girls

Parmiter's School

St Clement Danes School

Sandringham School