The Priory SchoolHitchin Girls' School

Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Hitchin.

Summary of the comparison

The Priory School and Hitchin Girls' School are secondary schools in Hitchin.

  • The Priory School scores 59 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Hitchin Girls' School scores 76 out of 100 (grade B, strong). Hitchin Girls' School is ahead on our composite score.

  • The Priory School was judged Good and Hitchin Girls' School was judged exceptional.

  • On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 48.5 for The Priory School and 57.8 for Hitchin Girls' 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 Hitchin Girls' School (64.6 in 2021-22, 57.8 in 2024-25).

Side-by-side comparison

The Priory School versus Hitchin Girls' School compared on inspection, results, pupils and attendance.
Measure HitchinThe Priory SchoolHitchinHitchin Girls' SchoolEngland average
Overview
Our scoreC59/100B76/100Stronger figure
Local ranking49th of 81 in Hertfordshire 15th of 81 in Hertfordshire Stronger figure
InspectionOfsted: GoodOfsted: OutstandingStronger figure
School typeFoundation school Academy converter
PhaseSecondary Secondary
Age range11-18 11-18
GenderMixed Girls
Pupils on roll1,242 1,356
Capacity1,300 1,400
LocationHitchin, SG5 2UR Hitchin, SG4 9RS
GCSE results
Attainment 848.5 57.8 Stronger figure46.0
Grade 5+ in English & maths49.2% 68.8% Stronger figure45.4%
Grade 4+ in English & maths64.1% 86.1% Stronger figure64.8%
Entering EBacc32.8% 34.1% Stronger figure40.5%
EBacc average point score4.28 5.05 Stronger figure4.09
Cohort195 208
A-level results
A-level entries122 150
A-level average points36.5 38.7 Stronger figure35.0
A-level average gradeB- B
Best 3 A-levels points38.3 40.1 Stronger figure35.8
AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects26.2% Stronger figure14.2% 17.5%
Pupils
Pupils in the census1,242 1,356
Free school meals (ever 6)24.2% 8.4%
English as an additional language6.7% 14.6%
SEN support17.1% 12.2%
SEN with an EHC plan4.0% 1.6%
Attendance
Overall absence8.7% 7.2% Stronger figure6.2%
Persistent absence19.4% 16.3% 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 Priory School

Hitchin Girls' School

Full profiles: The Priory School · Hitchin Girls' School