OFSTED
14 January 2025
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Not judged
OEIF
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Requires improvement
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Hertfordshire
Trust
BUSHEY ST JAMES TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,200
1,200 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
532
44.3% of pupils
Male pupils
668
55.7% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
4.3 pts
below England
School
20.5%
Hertsmere
11.9%
East of England
19.7%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
1.4 pts
below England
School
18.9%
Hertsmere
15.3%
East of England
16.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
1.6 pts
above England
School
2.6%
Hertsmere
0.7%
East of England
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
50.1%
601
Any other White background
9.8%
117
Indian
6.8%
81
Any other Asian background
6.0%
72
Unclassified
4.3%
51
Pakistani
4.1%
49
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
24.3%
291 of
1,200 pupils
3.4 pts
above England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
0.4 pts
above
England
6.0%
3.0 pts
above
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
43.6
4.4 pts
above England
Latest published: -0.45 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
13.07%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
6.85 pts
higher than
England
School
13.07%
Hertsmere
7.53%
East of England
6.17%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
32.55%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
16.73 pts
higher than
England
School
32.55%
Hertsmere
18.64%
East of England
15.39%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
8.73%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
6.92 pts
higher than
England
School
8.73%
Hertsmere
2.80%
East of England
1.83%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
92.3%
In line with
England
Bushey Meads School
92.3%
Hertsmere
94.9%
East of England
92.9%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.