The Astley Cooper SchoolThe Hemel Hempstead School

Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Hemel Hempstead.

Summary of the comparison

The Astley Cooper School and The Hemel Hempstead School are secondary schools in Hemel Hempstead.

  • The Astley Cooper School scores 37 out of 100 (grade F, weak) and The Hemel Hempstead School scores 59 out of 100 (grade C, average). The Hemel Hempstead School is ahead on our composite score.

  • The Astley Cooper School was judged in need of attention and The Hemel Hempstead School was judged the expected standard.

  • On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 34.7 for The Astley Cooper School and 49.9 for The Hemel Hempstead School.

  • GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at The Astley Cooper School (38.9 in 2021-22, 34.7 in 2024-25).

Side-by-side comparison

The Astley Cooper School versus The Hemel Hempstead School compared on inspection, results, pupils and attendance.
Measure Hemel HempsteadThe Astley Cooper SchoolHemel HempsteadThe Hemel Hempstead SchoolEngland average
Overview
Our scoreF37/100C59/100Stronger figure
Local ranking78th of 81 in Hertfordshire 53rd of 81 in Hertfordshire Stronger figure
InspectionOfsted: Needs attentionOfsted: ExpectedStronger figure
School typeCommunity school Academy converter
PhaseSecondary Secondary
Age range11-18 11-18
GenderMixed Mixed
Pupils on roll947 1,286
Capacity1,055 1,385
LocationHemel Hempstead, HP2 7HL Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1TX
GCSE results
Attainment 834.7 49.9 Stronger figure46.0
Grade 5+ in English & maths26.7% 51.2% Stronger figure45.4%
Grade 4+ in English & maths44.1% 74.2% Stronger figure64.8%
Entering EBacc11.8% 25.8% Stronger figure40.5%
EBacc average point score2.89 4.33 Stronger figure4.09
Cohort161 209
A-level results
A-level entries29 110
A-level average points24.7 32.8 Stronger figure35.0
A-level average gradeD+ C+
Best 3 A-levels pointsNot reported33.3 35.8
AAB+ incl. facilitating subjectsNot reported12.8% 17.5%
Pupils
Pupils in the census947 1,286
Free school meals (ever 6)36.8% 18.3%
English as an additional language17.6% 14.3%
SEN support25.0% 17.3%
SEN with an EHC plan3.8% 2.0%
Attendance
Overall absence13.7% 7.4% Stronger figure6.2%
Persistent absence39.2% 20.7% Stronger figure15.8%

marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.

Historical trends

Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.

GCSE Attainment 8

GCSE Progress 8

A-level average points

Overall absence

Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)

Pupils on roll

Ethnicity over time

One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.

The Astley Cooper School

The Hemel Hempstead School

Full profiles: The Astley Cooper School · The Hemel Hempstead School