Academy converter · Essex

King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy

11–16Ages
812Pupils
SecondaryPhase
136342URN

Broomstick Hall Road, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1LF · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Apr 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

0.9per place

1.9 below Essex median (2.8)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in EssexSelective

166 applications for 178 places · 77th of 78 in Essex

Every year since 2014

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

39.7of 90

Essex 45.6 England 46.0

65th of 79 in Essex

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 21 April 2026Published 18 June 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard	Needs attention
Inclusion		Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching			Needs attention
Achievement			Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour		Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing			Needs attention
Early years	Does not apply to this school
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance			Needs attention

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

21 April 2026
Report card · 2 Expected standard, 4 Needs attention
14 July 2022
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

0.9applications per place, Year 7

1.9 below Essex median (2.8) 1.3 below England median (2.2)

166 applications · 178 places offered · 118 named it first

2026 0.9; Essex median median 2.8
2025 1.1; Essex median median 2.7
2024 1.0; Essex median median 2.8
2023 1.0; Essex median median 2.7
2022 1.2; Essex median median 2.7
2021 1.1; Essex median median 2.6
2020 1.3; Essex median median 2.8
2019 1.1; Essex median median 2.7
2018 1.1; Essex median median 2.6
2017 1.0; Essex median median 2.7
2016 1.3; Essex median median 2.6
2015 0.8; Essex median median 2.5
2014 1.0; Essex median median 2.6

More applications per place than the Essex median in 0 of 13 years.

This school
Essex median

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, 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	178	166	0.9	118	0.66
Sep 2025	149	156	1.1	116	0.78
Sep 2024	210	213	1.0	161	0.77
Sep 2023	180	181	1.0	137	0.76
Sep 2022	156	186	1.2	143	0.92
Sep 2021	161	177	1.1	138	0.86
Sep 2020	142	182	1.3	123	0.87
Sep 2019	144	155	1.1	110	0.76
Sep 2018	129	137	1.1	90	0.70
Sep 2017	142	146	1.0	95	0.67
Sep 2016	94	118	1.3	71	0.76
Sep 2015	133	107	0.8	70	0.53
Sep 2014	163	161	1.0	116	0.71

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

143 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)39.765th of 79 in Essex

Essex 45.6 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths26%72nd of 79 in Essex

Essex 43% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths51%

Essex 66% England 66%

This school
Essex median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.34

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	143	39.7	26%	51%	–
2024/25	132	36.5	32%	55%	–
2023/24	144	38.7	33%	58%	−0.34
2022/23	129	37.9	27%	51%	−0.39

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

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

King Harold Business & Enterprise AcademyThis school
This school

2026

0.9applications per place 39.7Attainment 8
Oasis Academy Enfield
3.2 km · Enfield

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.9applications per place 40.3Attainment 8
Haileybury Turnford
3.8 km · Hertfordshire

2026

2.1applications per place 46.2Attainment 8
The Lea Valley Academy
4.1 km · Enfield

Good2022

2.4applications per place 34.4Attainment 8
Goffs - Churchgate Academy
4.4 km · Hertfordshire

2026

4.2applications per place 44.2Attainment 8
Ark John Keats Academy
4.4 km · Enfield

Good2023

3.4applications per place 50.4Attainment 8
St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)
5.0 km · Hertfordshire

Good2023

1.8applications per place 42.8Attainment 8
St Ignatius College
5.2 km · Enfield

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.1applications per place 57.4Attainment 8
Goffs Academy
5.3 km · Hertfordshire

Remains Good2023

3.0applications per place 50.6Attainment 8

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: Academy converter
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 136342 · 881/5415
Trust: The Kemnal Academies Trust
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Capacity: 750 pupils · 812 on roll
Free school meals: 33.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 November 2010
Replaced: King Harold School (URN 115331)
Address: Broomstick Hall Road, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1LF
Local authority: Essex · Epping Forest

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