Community school · Hertfordshire

Cowley Hill School

3–11Ages
416Pupils
PrimaryPhase
117099URN

Winstre Road, Borehamwood, WD6 5DP · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Jan 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.0per place

0.5 below Hertfordshire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Hertfordshire

108 applications for 53 places · 245th of 314 in Hertfordshire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

75%met the expected standard

Hertfordshire 67% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 13 January 2026Published 4 March 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard
Inclusion		Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching		Expected standard
Achievement		Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour		Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing		Expected standard
Early years		Expected standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance		Expected standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

13 January 2026
Report card · 7 Expected standard
6 October 2021
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.0applications per place, Reception

0.5 below Hertfordshire median (2.6) close to England median (2.2)

108 applications · 53 places offered · 33 named it first

2026 2.0; Hertfordshire median median 2.6
2025 2.5; Hertfordshire median median 2.6
2024 2.8; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2023 2.6; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2022 2.6; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2021 2.8; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2020 2.8; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2019 2.5; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2018 2.5; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2017 2.1; Hertfordshire median median 2.6
2016 2.1; Hertfordshire median median 2.9
2015 2.3; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2014 2.0; Hertfordshire median median 2.7

More applications per place than the Hertfordshire median in 1 of 13 years.

This school
Hertfordshire median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	53	108	2.0	33	0.62
Sep 2025	50	127	2.5	41	0.82
Sep 2024	60	170	2.8	61	1.02
Sep 2023	56	144	2.6	46	0.82
Sep 2022	60	156	2.6	65	1.08
Sep 2021	60	166	2.8	48	0.80
Sep 2020	59	164	2.8	59	1.00
Sep 2019	60	147	2.5	46	0.77
Sep 2018	60	152	2.5	55	0.92
Sep 2017	43	91	2.1	35	0.81
Sep 2016	60	125	2.1	52	0.87
Sep 2015	60	136	2.3	51	0.85
Sep 2014	60	122	2.0	49	0.82

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 81% · Writing 77% · Maths 84% → all three 75% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard75%81st of 331 in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire 67% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard81%

Hertfordshire 80% England 78%

Higher standard46%

Hertfordshire 38% England 33%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard77%

Hertfordshire 75% England 75%

Greater depth18%

Hertfordshire 14% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard84%

Hertfordshire 79% England 77%

Higher standard33%

Hertfordshire 30% England 24%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Hertfordshire median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	75%	12%	106	106
2023/24	65%	16%	106	105
2022/23	65%	15%	106	106

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Cowley Hill SchoolThis school
This school

2026

2.0applications per place 75%met the SATs standard
Woodlands Primary School
0.2 km · Hertfordshire

2026

4.3applications per place 66%met the SATs standard
St Teresa Catholic Primary School
0.5 km · Hertfordshire

Standards maintained2025

2.8applications per place 63%met the SATs standard
Parkside Community Primary School
0.8 km · Hertfordshire

Standards maintained2025

3.4applications per place 59%met the SATs standard
Meryfield Primary School
0.9 km · Hertfordshire

Remains Good2022

2.1applications per place 58%met the SATs standard
Monksmead School
1.3 km · Hertfordshire

Remains Good2022

3.3applications per place 48%met the SATs standard
Yavneh Primary School
1.3 km · Hertfordshire

Standards maintained2025

2.2applications per place 78%met the SATs standard
Kenilworth Primary School
1.6 km · Hertfordshire

2026

2.3applications per place 37%met the SATs standard
Summerswood Primary School
1.7 km · Hertfordshire

Requires improvement2024

1.9applications per place 40%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Community school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 117099 · 919/2030
Capacity: 465 pupils · 416 on roll
Free school meals: 30.4% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Address: Winstre Road, Borehamwood, WD6 5DP
Local authority: Hertfordshire · Hertsmere

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources