The Astley Cooper School
St Agnell's Lane, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7HL
914 pupils · 87% of 1,055 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Community school
- Ages
- 11–18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 34.3%
Ofsted
Needs attention (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Expected standard |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention |
| Achievement | Needs attention |
| Attendance and behaviour | Needs attention |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Needs attention |
| Leadership and governance | Needs attention |
| Post-16 | Expected standard |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 28 April 2026, published 18 June 2026. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 34.7 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 26.7% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 44.1% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 11.8% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.92 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 175 | 161 | 285 | 175 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 165 | 123 | 262 | 165 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 182 | 141 | 285 | 159 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 177 | 160 | 332 | 177 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 172 | 142 | 315 | 172 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 173 | 176 | 330 | 173 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 167 | 129 | 293 | 161 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 176 | 139 | 272 | 175 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- The Adeyfield Academy 2.5 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- Laureate Academy 3.2 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- The Hemel Hempstead School 3.7 km · Most areas: Expected standard (2026)
- Longdean School 3.8 km · Standards maintained (2025)
- John F Kennedy Catholic School 4.1 km · No Ofsted rating
- Kings Langley School 6.7 km · Good — confirmed 2024 · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.