Relocating within Hertfordshire for better schools

[usernemo]

We live in Welwyn Garden City (not in the west/ central parts). We have primary aged kids. They are settled at their school but imo not challenged academically, at all. The overall school results are pretty bad. I was focused on a nourishing environment initially, but I'm not convinced anymore it's a positive, happy, respectful place either.

We are prepared to move for better schools at this stage.
So wondering if people who live or have lived in Hertfordshire (and surrounding) and know the area would be able to recommend a better place.

We will be looking for secondary schools for our boys in a few years, so that's priority. They are fairly smart kids and I would like more academic schools, but at the same time probably grammar schools would not be the right thing.

Also primary schools are important so they can transition to secondary more prepared.

Dh drives into London for work.

Ideally, a lovely place - shops, cafes, with clubs and lessons for the kids. Not huge budget so can't afford St Albans, for example.

Hitchin Boys school is good I believe.

@ItsReallyOnlyMe thank you. Would you know how near we need to be to that to get in? From what I understand it's not selective.

Simon Balle in Hertford. It's an All through school, so I don't know about admissions or waiting lists. It's all the things you want though.

If you have the money, Haileybury.

Chancellors near Potters Bar-you'd need to look at Cuffley/Hatfield/nearside of Potters Bar.

Hitchin Boys. John Henry Newman. Both near to me and considered very good schools.

Watford for WBGS (not a grammar despite the name but partially selective) and also Parmiters for co-ed.

If you're hoping to stay relatively local then Hitchin is almost certainly the best bet, Hitchin Boys school is one of the better state schools available in the area and the Priory (co-ed) is much better these days - it used to be the poor-relation but I know people with children there now who prefer it to HGS / HBS. Although Hitchin is also expensive location-wise.

Richard Hale in Hertford. Highly recommend - it's an excellent school.

Thank you. I'll check them all out.

@Cloudyclaud
@allchildrengrowup how do I find out if we can send our kids there while living where we do (a couple of miles east from Hertford).

Have a look at previous years' admission statistics here:
www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/school-admissions/research-a-school/school-admissions-previous-years-statistics.aspx

This tells you the maximum distance of the most distant child admitted under each of the admission rules.

For Simon Balle, it has to be your nearest school (if you don't qualify under medical/social/sibling etch) in order to stand a chance of getting a place, and even then, in some years, the max distance has been under 1km.

For Richard Hale, if it isn't your nearest school, places are allocated on a lottery basis - first to children in the priority area (WGC is in the priority area) and then to outside.

Given that in the last few years places have been allocated to children outside the priority area, you would definitely have got a place living in WGC.

What age are they? Hitchin Boys is such a good school and I haven’t heard of a struggle to get Hitchin boys into the school, but the good primaries in Hitchin don’t have quite as many places in some years. I’d definitely recommend Hitchin as.a place to live but it depends if you’re moving just for secondary schools.

We will be needing a primary for another 4 years, so that's important too.
Is Letchworth similar to Hitchin as far as schools/ clubs are concerned?

@allchildrengrowup thank you!

For HBS you’re safer actually living in Hitchin as they are tightening a bit on the catchment area, so you wouldn’t be guaranteed a place from Letchworth.

@usernemo we are in a similar boat. Hitchin would be your best bet, however are you ok with the boys going to an all boys school? Hitchin is becoming quite expensive to live too.

Watford does have some good schools and the grammar is meant to be good. Is it only Hertfordshire that you want to stay? Further afield towards the West of London you would find some decent areas

Don't go for the Letchworth schools, Letchworth is a nice town but the secondary in Baldock is better (good enough if it's your catchment school, but wouldn't move there for it).

Letchworth is a nice place for families, but the schools aren't great or at least don't have a great rep. I'm happy with my kids' primary but it won't be at the top of many lists.

HBS take a small random lottery of boys from Letchworth - they took 20 in my son's year, but often it's far less (I also think it's a fab school for the sporty or academic, but not so much for everyone else, but still better than the Letchworth options).

With that in mind, Letchworth is more affordable than Hitchin and wherever you live you are usually within walking distance of the shops etc. There's loads of community stuff. But if you're moving for schools none of that is super relevant.

Is it only Hertfordshire that you want to stay? Further afield towards the West of London you would find some decent areas

As long as it's easily commutable into London it should be fine.

I'm not actually sure if I want them to go to boys only school... But if it's a recommended/ well performing school, I'd imagine the set up works...?

The set up works because over 50% of boys and girls in Hitchin go to a single sex school (there are three secondaries, a boys, a girls, and a mixed). However since the 2023 entry they have tightened the number on non-Hitchin children getting places.

A lot of this would depend on your budget though?