Hertfordshire: how secondary school cut-offs moved in 2026
Last distance offered, Year 7, National Offer Day 2025 compared with 2026 · Catchmently analysis of council figures
Hertfordshire had 8 clearly oversubscribed secondary schools with a single published last distance offered in both 2025 and 2026. On National Offer Day 2026, 4 had a shorter distance than the year before and 4 a longer one. Only 1 of the 8 stayed within 10% of the previous year's figure.
In 2026, 77.5% of secondary applicants were offered their first preference (England 83.6%; 44th lowest of 152 councils). In 2026, 89.1% of primary applicants were offered their first preference (England 92.4%; 27th lowest of 152 councils).
School by school
How each school's last distance offered changed between 2025 and 2026, and how many families who put it first were not offered a place in 2026 (Department for Education).
| School | Change, 2025 to 2026 | First choices not offered, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Avanti Grange Secondary School Bishops Stortford | −51% shorter | 77 |
| Roundwood Park School Harpenden | −48% shorter | 51 |
| Sir John Lawes School Harpenden | −30% shorter | 80 |
| Sandringham School St Albans | −19% shorter | 108 |
| The Adeyfield Academy Hemel Hempstead | +2% longer | 20 |
| The Broxbourne School Broxbourne | +23% longer | 144 |
| Tring School Tring | +53% longer | 44 |
| Beaumont School St Albans | +98% longer | 82 |
The biggest moves, as published
- Avanti Grange Secondary School: 5,847 m in 2025, 2,846 m in 2026 (−51%). Council source
- Beaumont School: 686 m in 2025, 1,359 m in 2026 (+98%). Council source
Year-by-year distances for every school in Hertfordshire are in the pass, each with its source and offer date.
Reception (primary)
Clearly oversubscribed primary schools in Hertfordshire with a single published last distance offered in both years:
| School | Change, 2025 to 2026 | First choices not offered, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Warren Dell Primary School Watford | −54% shorter | 28 |
| Greenway Primary and Nursery School Berkhamsted | −7% shorter | 14 |
Open Hertfordshire on the map Schools in Hertfordshire
Before you apply
A school's last distance offered depends on how many children apply, how many siblings take places first, which priority group the last place fell in and how the council measures distance. Look at three or more years, read each school's admission rules and use every preference. Secondary applications close on 31 October 2026. Read how to read a last distance offered or the national picture.
Check the schools near you
Catchmently maps every school in England with its Ofsted report, results and the admissions figures councils publish, each linked to its source. Searching is free. The one-off 3-month pass shows each school's last distance offered year by year.
Method and sources
- "Clearly oversubscribed" means at least 10 first-preference applicants were not offered a place in both 2025 and 2026. Selective schools and schools with banded or multi-row figures are left out, so not every Hertfordshire school appears here.
- Distances are compared as published by the council, in its own unit and way of measuring. A last distance offered is not a catchment area and does not show any family's chance of a place. Some large swings reflect which priority group the last place fell in, catchment changes or added places rather than demand.
- Council publications: hertfordshire.gov.uk: allocation summary reports · hertfordshire.gov.uk: primary allocation summary reports 26 27. Applications and offers: Department for Education (OGL v3.0).