Community special school

Heathlands School

Mixed · ages 3–18 · with sixth formHertfordshire, East of England · St Albans AL3 5AYSchool website
Pupils on roll
150
Free school meals
35.8%
Year 11 cohort 2025
18
Ofsted
School remains Outstanding, 8 February 2023Read the Ofsted report
What the data says

Of the 6 pupils who finished Year 11 at Heathlands School in 2023, 0% stayed on in Heathlands School’s own sixth form (Hertfordshire average 58%), 50% went to a further education college and none started an apprenticeship.

17% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.

Almost nobody goes straight into an apprenticeship or a job: none took an apprenticeship and none went into work, against 3% and 3% across England.

Heathlands School is a special school: its GCSE figures (Attainment 8 of 6.4, 0% with grade 5 or above in English and maths) are published by DfE for completeness and are not comparable with mainstream schools.

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Hertfordshire and England.

Heathlands School
Hertfordshire
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureHeathlands SchoolHertfordshireEngland
Pupils in the cohort614,400607,348
Any sustained destination67%95%92%
Stayed in education67%92%86%
— school sixth form0%58%34%
— sixth form college0%2%13%
— further education college50%31%37%
— other education17%1%2%
Apprenticeship0%2%3%
Employment0%2%3%
No sustained destination17%3%6%
Destination unknown17%2%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

No published destinations for sixth-form leavers yet.

GCSE results 2025

MeasureHeathlands SchoolHertfordshireEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)6.450.646.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths0%53%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths0%72%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects0%47%41%
EBacc average point score0.474.564.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort44%18%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils6.434.234.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils6.554.150.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language72%16%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Mathematics1689%88%0%22%6%
Art and Design1056%7%0%24%0%
Design and Technology528%11%23%
Combined Science422%65%9%
English Language422%89%20%
Geography422%41%25%
Food Preparation and Nutrition317%8%21%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Computer Appreciation / Introduction4

Other secondary schools in Hertfordshire

Ashlyns School

Foundation school · sixth form · 1,561 pupils

94% stayed in education · Attainment 8 57.9

Barclay Academy

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,044 pupils

91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.5

Barnwell School

Foundation school · sixth form · 1,270 pupils

88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.5

Beaumont School

Academy converter · sixth form · 1,722 pupils

98% stayed in education · Attainment 8 62.6

Birchwood High School

Academy converter · sixth form · 1,417 pupils

85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.1

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.