Community school · Hertfordshire

Highover Primary School

4–11Ages
433Pupils
PrimaryPhase
117115URN

Cambridge Road, Hitchin, SG4 0JP · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Jan 2025 Previous framework

No overall grade given

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.4per place

close to Hertfordshire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Hertfordshire

145 applications for 60 places · 169th of 314 in Hertfordshire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

68%met the expected standard

Hertfordshire 67% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded inspection · 28 January 2025Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024). Between September 2024 and November 2025 Ofsted graded areas but gave no overall grade.
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education	Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes	Outstanding
Personal development	Outstanding
Leadership and management	Outstanding
Early years provision	Outstanding

Inspection history

28 January 2025
Graded inspection, no overall grade
5 March 2020
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

2.4applications per place, Reception

close to Hertfordshire median (2.6) 0.2 above England median (2.2)

145 applications · 60 places offered · 57 named it first

2026 2.4; Hertfordshire median median 2.6
2025 2.0; Hertfordshire median median 2.6
2024 2.1; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2023 2.5; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2022 2.5; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2021 2.3; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2020 2.6; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2019 2.2; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2018 2.6; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2017 2.4; Hertfordshire median median 2.6
2016 3.1; Hertfordshire median median 2.9
2015 3.2; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2014 2.8; Hertfordshire median median 2.7

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	60	145	2.4	57	0.95
Sep 2025	56	112	2.0	50	0.89
Sep 2024	60	123	2.1	58	0.97
Sep 2023	59	145	2.5	62	1.05
Sep 2022	59	146	2.5	62	1.05
Sep 2021	53	119	2.3	47	0.89
Sep 2020	60	157	2.6	64	1.07
Sep 2019	60	132	2.2	52	0.87
Sep 2018	60	157	2.6	53	0.88
Sep 2017	60	141	2.4	55	0.92
Sep 2016	60	187	3.1	62	1.03
Sep 2015	60	194	3.2	71	1.18
Sep 2014	60	169	2.8	66	1.10

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 86% · Writing 76% · Maths 83% → all three 68% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard68%142nd of 331 in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire 67% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard86%

Hertfordshire 80% England 78%

Higher standard46%

Hertfordshire 38% England 33%

Average scaled score 108 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard76%

Hertfordshire 75% England 75%

Greater depth17%

Hertfordshire 14% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard83%

Hertfordshire 79% England 77%

Higher standard46%

Hertfordshire 30% England 24%

Average scaled score 107 (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	68%	15%	108	107
2023/24	67%	13%	107	107
2022/23	67%	17%	111	109

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

Highover Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.4applications per place 68%met the SATs standard
Purwell Primary School
0.8 km · Hertfordshire

Graded · no overall grade2024

5.0applications per place 57%met the SATs standard
St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Hitchin
1.2 km · Hertfordshire

2026

4.4applications per place 68%met the SATs standard
William Ransom Primary School
1.3 km · Hertfordshire

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.9applications per place 78%met the SATs standard
Mary Exton Primary School
1.3 km · Hertfordshire

Good2022

8.3applications per place 40%met the SATs standard
St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School
1.5 km · Hertfordshire

Good2023

2.7applications per place 62%met the SATs standard
Our Lady Catholic Primary School
1.7 km · Hertfordshire

Good2022

2.3applications per place 57%met the SATs standard
Strathmore Infant and Nursery School
1.7 km · Hertfordshire

Remains Good2023

2.6applications per place
Highbury Infant School and Nursery
1.9 km · Hertfordshire

Remains Good2022

2.9applications per place

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: 117115 · 919/2057
Capacity: 420 pupils · 433 on roll
Free school meals: 5.8% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Cambridge Road, Hitchin, SG4 0JP
Local authority: Hertfordshire · North Hertfordshire

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources