Sir John Lawes School

Secondary · Academy converter · Ages 11–18 · Harpenden, Hertfordshire

Last distance offered · Year 7 2026

0.64 miles

Published by Hertfordshire County Council · offers on 2 March 2026

Year 7 last distance offered, 2019–2026 (miles)

0.57

2.44

4.70

1.28

1.47

1.57

0.91

0.64

20192020202120222023202420252026

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Sir John Lawes School is a secondary school in Harpenden, Hertfordshire for ages 11–18 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Outstanding, from the inspection on 28 March 2023. Hertfordshire has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2015 to 2026 entry.

Sir John Lawes 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	0.64 mi
Year 7 2025	0.91 mi
Year 7 2024	1.57 mi
Year 7 2023	1.47 mi
Year 7 2022	1.28 mi
Year 7 2021	4.70 mi
Year 7 2020	2.44 mi
Year 7 2019	0.57 mi
Year 7 2018	0.65 mi
Year 7 2017	0.97 mi
Year 7 2016	0.87 mi
Year 7 2015	0.79 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 0.64 miles away, the 3rd shortest of 44 Hertfordshire secondary schools with a published last distance.
In 2026, Year 7 had 259 first-choice applications for 187 offers; 179 offers went to first-choice families, and 80 first-choice families were not offered a place.
In 2024/25, 76% got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), 3rd highest 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: Manland Way, Harpenden, AL5 4QP
Type: Academy converter
Phase: Secondary
Ages: 11–18
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Council: Hertfordshire
Pupils on roll: 1,373 January 2026 school census
Free school meals: 8.4% of pupils eligible
Pupils per teacher: 18.2

Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026

Ofsted

Outstanding Inspected 28 March 2023

Strengths

“Life for pupils at this school is ‘A.C.E’.”
“The values of ‘Achievement, Care and Excellence’ run through all aspects of school life.”
“Pupils at the school are scholars, leaders and mentors.”

Safeguarding: Effective

Quoted from the Ofsted report published 23 May 2023 (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)	76%	45%
Attainment 8 score (2024/25)	62.8	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: 259 first-preference applications, 187 offers in total, 179 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.

St George's School 0.3 mi Not judged Last distance published
Katherine Warington School 0.6 mi Good Last distance published
Roundwood Park School 1.2 mi Outstanding Last distance published
Townsend Church of England School 3.4 mi School remains Good Last distance published
St Albans Girls' School 3.7 mi Not judged Last distance published
Sandringham School 3.9 mi Outstanding Last distance published
Verulam School 4.8 mi School remains Good Last distance published
Loreto College 4.9 mi Not judged Last distance published