School profile

Katherine Warington School

Secondary · Free schools · Harpenden, AL5 5FH

Good

Map showing Katherine Warington School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#904 of 3,312

Better than 72% of schools in England

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

Katherine Warington School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 28 Feb 2024

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFree schools
Ages11 to 19
Pupils1,113
GenderMixed
Head teacherMr David Martin
TrustHARPENDEN SECONDARY EDUCATION TRUST
Local authorityHertfordshire
Opened02 Sept 2019
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 145890.

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.50.6, better than England-46.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.71.4%, better than England-64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.55.4%, better than England-46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.22.9%, better than England-14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths66.3%, better than England-60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4175--

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

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,113
Girls500
Boys613
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.12.6%
First language not English7.5%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,150
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.3.2%
Sixth form places2024/25250
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.157
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.59
Average class size20.6

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
71.9%
Other White
5.2%
Other mixed
4.1%
White and Black Caribbean
2.6%
African
2.6%
White and Asian
2.2%
Pakistani
2.2%
Indian
1.8%
White and Black African
1.3%
Chinese
1.3%

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 teacher16.6
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.3
Teachers (FTE)67.13
Teaching assistants (FTE)28.32
Support staff (FTE)59.15
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2561.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2554.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254.8
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252.2

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.165
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.631
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.139
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.116
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)41

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 absence7.6%, similar to England-8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.16.6%, better than England-21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.4%, similar to England-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 rate15.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions6.2%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
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.93.1%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.90.3%
School sixth form57.7%
Further education28%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.5.1%
Sixth form college4%
Apprenticeship1.7%
Employment1.1%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 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 Katherine Warington School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miNurseryBatford Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Outstanding
0.4 miPrimarySauncey Wood Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryCrabtree Junior SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.6 miSecondarySir John Lawes SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.6 miPrimaryCrabtree Infants' SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.7 miPrimaryManland Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryHigh Beeches Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
0.8 miNot applicableAldwickbury SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.9 miSecondarySt George's SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.0 miPrimaryThe Lea Primary School and NurseryCommunity school
Outstanding

Frequently asked questions about Katherine Warington School

What is Katherine Warington School's Ofsted rating?

Katherine Warington School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 28 Feb 2024.

How does Katherine Warington School rank in England?

Katherine Warington School ranks 904 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 72% of schools).

What are Katherine Warington School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 55.4% of pupils at Katherine Warington School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 50.6 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Katherine Warington School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Katherine Warington School made 165 offers from 631 applications (3.8 per offer), and 116 of 139 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Katherine Warington School?

Katherine Warington School has 1,113 pupils aged 11 to 19.

What is the capacity of Katherine Warington School?

Katherine Warington School had 1,150 school places in 2024/25.

Does Katherine Warington School have a sixth form?

Yes, Katherine Warington School has a sixth form with 250 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Katherine Warington School?

At Katherine Warington School, the average class had 20.6 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.6 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Katherine Warington School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Katherine Warington School missed 7.6% of sessions (England 8%), and 16.6% 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.