School profile

Fearnhill School

Secondary · Foundation school · Letchworth, SG6 4BA

Good

Map showing Fearnhill School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,944 of 3,312

Worse than 88% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#2,302 of 2,536

Worse than 90% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Fearnhill School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 21 Apr 2026

Area360 rating
Good
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour
Needs attention
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Post-16 provision
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFoundation school
Ages11 to 18
Pupils597
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Tim Spencer
TrustLetchworth Garden City Education Partnership
Local authorityHertfordshire
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 117504.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.37.5, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire50.446.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.37.1%, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire71.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.18.6%, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire53.6%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.1%, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire18.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths32%, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire67.2%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 497--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.24.71, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire36.8235
Average A-level gradeD+--
Average points, best three A-levels25.48, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire37.435.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC---
AAB or better0%, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire19%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.36, worse than England--
A-level progressBelow average, worse than England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study24--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.c--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils597
Girls296
Boys301
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.38%
First language not English9.7%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.968
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.38.3%
Sixth form places2024/25368
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.126
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.30
Average class size19.2

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
76.4%
White and Black Caribbean
4.2%
Other White
3.5%
Other mixed
3%
Indian
2.7%
African
2.7%
Other ethnic group
1.8%
Other Asian
1%
Irish
0.8%
White and Black African
0.7%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher14.2
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.3
Teachers (FTE)42.18
Teaching assistants (FTE)8.97
Support staff (FTE)31.22
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2539.9
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2535.1
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.86
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.254
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.76
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.76
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)4

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Overall absence9.4%, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire7.4%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.25.2%, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire18.5%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.9%, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire2.9%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate34.9%
Pupils with one or more suspensions11.1%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions2

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.94.3%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.91.5%
Further education54.7%
School sixth form35.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.7%
Employment1.9%
Apprenticeship0.9%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.96%
Higher education60%
Employment32%
Apprenticeship4%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4%
Further education0%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Fearnhill School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryIcknield Infant and Nursery SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
0.5 miPrimaryWilbury Junior SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miPrimarySt Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miSecondaryThe Highfield SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miNot applicableSt Francis CollegeOther independent school
Unrated
1.1 miNot applicableSt Christopher SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
1.1 miPrimaryPixmore Junior SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.2 miPrimaryHillshott Infant School and NurseryCommunity school
Good
1.2 miPrimaryHighover Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
1.4 miPrimaryIckleford Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Fearnhill School

What is Fearnhill School's Ofsted rating?

Fearnhill School is rated Good, last inspected on 21 Apr 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Fearnhill School rank in England?

Fearnhill School ranks 2,944 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 88% of schools) and 2,302 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 90% of schools).

What are Fearnhill School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 18.6% of pupils at Fearnhill School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 37.5 (England 46.2).

What are Fearnhill School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Fearnhill School was D+, and 0% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Fearnhill School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Fearnhill School made 86 offers from 254 applications (3 per offer), and 76 of 76 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Fearnhill School?

Fearnhill School has 597 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Fearnhill School?

Fearnhill School had 968 school places in 2024/25.

Does Fearnhill School have a sixth form?

Yes, Fearnhill School has a sixth form with 368 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Fearnhill School?

At Fearnhill School, the average class had 19.2 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 14.2 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Fearnhill School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Fearnhill School missed 9.4% of sessions (England 8%), and 25.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.