OFSTED
9 July 2024
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Good
OEIF
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Good
INSPECTION HISTORY
Previous Ofsted activity
4 December 2019
Ungraded inspection
School remains Good
Published
15 January 2020
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Boys
Religious character
—
Local authority
Hertfordshire
Trust
RICHARD HALE SCHOOL
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,207
1,207 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
60
5.0% of pupils
Male pupils
1,147
95.0% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
16.8 pts
below England
School
8.0%
East Hertfordshire
10.6%
East of England
19.7%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
15.9 pts
below England
School
4.4%
East Hertfordshire
9.1%
East of England
16.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
0.9 pts
below England
School
0.1%
East Hertfordshire
0.7%
East of England
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
81.0%
978
Any other White background
4.1%
50
White and Asian
2.2%
27
Any other Mixed background
1.9%
23
Any other Asian background
1.7%
20
Unclassified
1.6%
19
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
13.3%
161 of
1,207 pupils
7.5 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
3.7 pts
below
England
6.0%
3.8 pts
below
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
56.3
17.1 pts
above England
Latest published: 0.31 · 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
5.41%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
0.81 pts
lower than
England
School
5.41%
East Hertfordshire
5.83%
East of England
6.17%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
11.97%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
3.84 pts
lower than
England
School
11.97%
East Hertfordshire
14.32%
East of England
15.39%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
1.22%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
0.58 pts
lower than
England
School
1.22%
East Hertfordshire
1.26%
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
99.1%
6.8 pts
above England
Richard Hale School
99.1%
East Hertfordshire
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.