Simon Balle All-Through School
Mangrove Road, Hertford, SG13 8AJ
1,617 pupils · 156% of 1,037 capacity
- Phase
- All-through
- Type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4–18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- THE LAUREL EDUCATION TRUST
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 9.8%
Ofsted
Outstanding (2024) — Ungraded inspection — “School remains Outstanding” (previous grade confirmed, not re-graded)
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 25 April 2024, published 17 July 2024. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Reaching the expected standard in reading, writing & maths | 84% |
| Reaching the higher standard | 33% |
| Attainment 8 score | 55.4 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 63.8% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 83.6% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 48.6% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Oversubscribed — 1.38 first-choice applications per place (primary entry, Sept 2026 entry)
Roughly one first choice per place — 1.18 first-choice applications per place (secondary entry, Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 60 | 83 | 247 | 60 |
| Sept 2026 entry | 124 | 146 | 669 | 124 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 58 | 104 | 303 | 58 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 123 | 152 | 635 | 123 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 59 | 83 | 254 | 59 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 128 | 140 | 728 | 128 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 59 | 86 | 267 | 59 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 114 | 167 | 749 | 114 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Ark John Keats Academy 14.3 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- Oasis Academy Hadley 16.9 km · Most areas: Strong standard (2025)
- Samuel Ryder Academy 17.8 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- Edmonton County School 17.8 km · Good (2024) · previous system
- Wren Academy Finchley 21.2 km · Standards maintained (2025)
- Harris Academy Tottenham 22.5 km · Outstanding — confirmed 2023 · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.