The Reach Free School
Secondary · Free schools · Ages 11–18 · Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Hertfordshire County Council · offers on 2 March 2026
Year 7 last distance offered, 2019–2026 (miles)
All: every applicant was offered a place.
The Reach Free School is a secondary school in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire for ages 11–18 (free schools). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Standards maintained, from the inspection on 16 October 2024. Hertfordshire has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2015 to 2026 entry.
The Reach Free 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 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2025 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2024 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2023 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2022 | Not published |
| Year 7 2021 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2020 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2019 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2018 | Not published |
| Year 7 2017 | Not published |
| Year 7 2016 | Not published |
| Year 7 2015 | Not published |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- For Year 7 in 2026, there were 84 first-choice applications for 109 offers, 0.8 first choices per offer, the 20th lowest of 74 Hertfordshire secondary schools.
- For Year 7 in 2026, 67 offers went to first-choice families, 17 first-choice families (20%) were not offered a place, and 42 offers went to families who ranked it second or lower.
- For Year 7 in 2026, 127 of the 298 applications (43%) came from families living outside Hertfordshire, and 37 offers went to them.
- In 2024/25, 35% of pupils got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), the 2nd 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
- Long Lane, Rickmansworth, WD3 8AB
- Type
- Free schools
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–18
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Hertfordshire
- Pupils on roll
- 734 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 19.5% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 14.7
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Standards maintained Inspected 16 October 2024
Strengths
- “Pupils are happy as part of The Reach Free School community.”
- “Teachers have high expectations for their behaviour and learning.”
- “The school prioritises the well-being and personal development of pupils.”
To improve
- “On occasions, pupils do not have the chance to extend and deepen what they learn.”
- “This can limit how well pupils learn more complex ideas.”
- “However, sometimes this information is not used precisely enough to build on pupils’ understanding and fully meet all of their needs.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 27 November 2024 (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) | 35% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 44.2 | 46 |
| A level average grade (2024/25) | C | 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: 84 first-preference applications, 109 offers in total, 67 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.
- Saint Joan of Arc Catholic School 1.7 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- St Clement Danes School 2.1 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Rickmansworth School 2.2 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Croxley Danes School 3.4 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Westfield Academy 3.9 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Watford Grammar School for Boys 4.1 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Watford Grammar School for Girls 4.8 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- The Grange Academy 5.8 mi Not judged 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
- Schools in every council in England