The Priory School
Secondary · Foundation school · Ages 11–18 · Hitchin, Hertfordshire
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
8.28 miles
In Priority Area, Distance · Published by Hertfordshire County Council · offers on 2 March 2026
Year 7 last distance offered, 2019–2026 (miles)
The Priory School is a secondary school in Hitchin, Hertfordshire for ages 11–18 (foundation school). Its latest Ofsted outcome is School remains Good, from the inspection on 5 October 2022. Hertfordshire has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2015 to 2026 entry.
The Priory School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | 8.28 mi |
| Year 7 2025 | 5.79 mi |
| Year 7 2024 | 5.84 mi |
| Year 7 2023 | 5.88 mi |
| Year 7 2022 | 3.75 mi |
| Year 7 2021 | 2.03 mi |
| Year 7 2020 | 5.49 mi |
| Year 7 2019 | 5.74 mi |
| Year 7 2018 | 4.65 mi |
| Year 7 2017 | 4.73 mi |
| Year 7 2016 | 4.74 mi |
| Year 7 2015 | 4.61 mi |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- The last child offered a Year 7 place in 2026 lived 8.28 miles away, the 3rd longest of 44 Hertfordshire secondary schools with a published last distance.
- Distances swung sharply between some years, and the 2026 Year 7 figure was further than in 2025 and the longest of the 12 years with a published distance.
- In 2026, Year 7 had 94 first-choice applications for 127 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and 33 offers went to families ranking it second or lower.
- In 2024/25, 49% got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths, the 4th lowest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest secondary schools in Hertfordshire.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Hertfordshire schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Bedford Road, Hitchin, SG5 2UR
- Type
- Foundation school
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–18
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Hertfordshire
- Pupils on roll
- 1,221 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 23.7% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 15.9
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
School remains Good Inspected 5 October 2022
Strengths
- “This is an inclusive school where pupils, including students in the sixth form, are well supported to be successful.”
- “Pupils and students study a wide range of subjects and are prepared thoroughly for the next stage in their education.”
- “Staff help pupils and students to reach their potential.”
To improve
- “In a small number of subjects, where the curriculum is not as well developed, leaders have firm plans in place to bring about improvement.”
- “In a small number of subjects, some teachers do not always use the school’s approaches to support pupils’ learning effectively.”
- “In these instances, pupils do not learn as well as they could.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 22 November 2022 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 49% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 48.5 | 46 |
| A level average grade (2024/25) | B- | B- |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 94 first-preference applications, 127 offers in total, 94 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Hertfordshire.
- Hitchin Boys' School 0.8 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Hitchin Girls' School 1.2 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Fearnhill School 1.8 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- The Highfield School 1.8 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School 4.2 mi School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next Last distance published
- The Knights Templar School 4.3 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- The Thomas Alleyne Academy 4.6 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Barclay Academy 4.7 mi Good Last distance published
More in Hertfordshire
- All 1,050 schools and nurseries in Hertfordshire
- Hertfordshire secondary schools in a table, sorted by results, Ofsted and offers
- Compare Hertfordshire with other areas: offers, results, crime, house prices and rents
- How Hertfordshire's secondary school cut-offs moved in 2026
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