The Priory SchoolFearnhill School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
The Priory School and Fearnhill School are secondary schools.
The Priory School scores 59 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Fearnhill School scores 53 out of 100 (grade D, below average). The Priory School is ahead on our composite score.
The Priory School was judged Good and Fearnhill School was judged the expected standard.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 48.5 for The Priory School and 38.9 for Fearnhill School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at The Priory School (49.1 in 2021-22, 48.5 in 2024-25) and has fallen at Fearnhill School (48.6 in 2021-22, 38.9 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | HitchinThe Priory School | LetchworthFearnhill School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C59/100Stronger figure | D53/100 | |
| Local ranking | 49th of 81 in Hertfordshire Stronger figure | 65th of 81 in Hertfordshire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Expected | |
| School type | Foundation school | Foundation school | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,242 | 601 | |
| Capacity | 1,300 | 1,055 | |
| Location | Hitchin, SG5 2UR | Letchworth, SG6 4BA | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 48.5 Stronger figure | 38.9 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 49.2% Stronger figure | 26.7% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 64.1% Stronger figure | 53.3% | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 32.8% | 39.0% Stronger figure | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.28 Stronger figure | 3.56 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 195 | 105 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 122 | 19 | |
| A-level average points | 36.5 Stronger figure | 24.7 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | B- | D+ | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 38.3 Stronger figure | 25.5 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 26.2% Stronger figure | 0.0% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,242 | 601 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 24.2% | 39.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 6.7% | 10.5% | |
| SEN support | 17.1% | 12.2% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.0% | 4.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.7% Stronger figure | 10.9% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 19.4% Stronger figure | 31.0% | 15.8% |
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 Priory School
Fearnhill School
Full profiles: The Priory School · Fearnhill School