Watford Grammar School for GirlsBushey Meads School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Watford Grammar School for Girls and Bushey Meads School are secondary schools.
Watford Grammar School for Girls scores 81 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Bushey Meads School scores 44 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Watford Grammar School for Girls is ahead on our composite score.
Watford Grammar School for Girls was judged Outstanding and Bushey Meads School was judged in need of attention.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 65.5 for Watford Grammar School for Girls and 42.5 for Bushey Meads School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Watford Grammar School for Girls (73.0 in 2021-22, 65.5 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Bushey Meads School (54.1 in 2021-22, 42.5 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | WatfordWatford Grammar School for Girls | BusheyBushey Meads School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B81/100Stronger figure | D44/100 | |
| Local ranking | 6th of 81 in Hertfordshire Stronger figure | 75th of 81 in Hertfordshire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | Ofsted: Requires improvement | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-19 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Girls | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,427 | 1,200 | |
| Capacity | 1,450 | 1,300 | |
| Location | Watford, WD18 0AE | Bushey, WD23 4PA | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 65.5 Stronger figure | 42.5 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 79.6% Stronger figure | 43.3% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 87.7% Stronger figure | 61.0% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 211 | 187 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 204 | 122 | |
| A-level average points | 39.5 Stronger figure | 27.6 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | B | C- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 39.4 Stronger figure | 28.4 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 27.9% Stronger figure | 5.6% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,429 | 1,236 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 7.2% | 23.0% | |
| English as an additional language | 31.1% | 18.2% | |
| SEN support | 3.9% | 15.3% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 0.9% | 8.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.7% Stronger figure | 13.1% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 19.2% Stronger figure | 32.5% | 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.
Watford Grammar School for Girls
Bushey Meads School
Full profiles: Watford Grammar School for Girls · Bushey Meads School