Ashlyns School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,561 pupils
94% stayed in education · Attainment 8 57.9
Academy sponsor led
Future Academies Watford
- Pupils on roll
- 1,060of 1,350 places
- Free school meals
- 34.9%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 184
- Ofsted
- Inspected, 29 April 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Francis Combe School and Community College (URN 117522, until 1 September 2009).
What the data says
Of the 189 pupils who finished Year 11 at Future Academies Watford in 2023, 25% stayed on in Future Academies Watford’s own sixth form (Hertfordshire average 58%), 62% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 55 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 58% went to university (Hertfordshire 42%, England 37%), and 4% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Food Preparation and Nutrition is unusually popular at GCSE: 25% of the year group took it, against 8% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 39.8 against 46.1 across England and 50.6 in Hertfordshire, with 32% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
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.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Future Academies Watford | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 189 | 14,400 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 94% | 95% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 89% | 92% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 25% | 58% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 2% | 13% |
| — further education college | 62% | 31% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 3% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Future Academies Watford | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 55 | 14,189 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 87% | 82% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 58% | 42% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 4% | 24% | 19% |
| Further education | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 18% | 28% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 13% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Future Academies Watford | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 39.8 | 50.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 32% | 53% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 55% | 72% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 65% | 47% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.69 | 4.56 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 33% | 18% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 30.7 | 34.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 44.3 | 54.1 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 11% | 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.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 183 | 99% | 88% | 11% | 22% | 62% |
| English Language | 183 | 99% | 89% | 10% | 20% | 58% |
| English Literature | 181 | 98% | 86% | 11% | 21% | 64% |
| Combined Science | 138 | 75% | 65% | 8% | 9% | 53% |
| Geography | 109 | 59% | 41% | 7% | 25% | 44% |
| Spanish | 84 | 46% | 19% | 10% | 27% | 52% |
| History | 51 | 28% | 41% | 16% | 26% | 53% |
| Latin | 47 | 26% | 1% | 26% | 74% | 57% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 46 | 25% | 8% | 7% | 21% | 50% |
| Design and Technology | 43 | 23% | 11% | 0% | 23% | 35% |
| Fine Art | 40 | 22% | 9% | 20% | 28% | 85% |
| Computer Science | 39 | 21% | 13% | 13% | 30% | 44% |
| Physical Education | 38 | 21% | 11% | 13% | 24% | 66% |
| Biology | 33 | 18% | 23% | 12% | 45% | 76% |
| Physics | 32 | 17% | 23% | 9% | 46% | 69% |
| Chemistry | 32 | 17% | 23% | 6% | 47% | 66% |
| Photography | 25 | 14% | 6% | 0% | 19% | 48% |
| 3D Design | 24 | 13% | 2% | 8% | 16% | 54% |
| Citizenship Studies | 23 | 13% | 3% | 4% | 19% | 57% |
| Drama | 22 | 12% | 7% | 9% | 27% | 55% |
| Religious Studies | 13 | 7% | 31% | 23% | 32% | 85% |
| Portuguese | 3 | 2% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
| Russian | 3 | 2% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| German | 1 | 1% | 5% | — | 33% | — |
| Polish | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Turkish | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
| Chinese | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Health | 21 | 72% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 1 | 3% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Future Academies Watford | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 64 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 29 | 8,082 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 30.26 | 36.82 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 0% | 19% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 23 | 79% | 23% |
| Sociology | 13 | 45% | 13% |
| Mathematics | 10 | 34% | 31% |
| Chemistry | 7 | 24% | 17% |
| English Literature | 6 | 21% | 11% |
| German | — | — | 0% |
| Business Studies | — | — | 13% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Portuguese | — | — | 0% |
| Biology | — | — | 20% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 10 | 34% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Hertfordshire
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
Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School
Academy converter · sixth form · 942 pupils
97% stayed in education · Attainment 8 51.9
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.