Bernards Heath Junior School is a primary school in St Albans, serving pupils aged 7 to 11. The school is a community school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Bernards Heath Junior School currently has around 352 pupils on roll, which is about 98% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 52% boys and 48% girls. Around 8.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 4%. Persistent absence is recorded at 7.5%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (63.6%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Watson Avenue, St Albans, AL3 5HP |
| Website: | http://www.bernardsheathjnr.herts.sch.uk |
| Telephone: | 01727856262 |
| School Type: | Community school |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Hertfordshire |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Hayley Gilbert |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 117143 |
Ofsted inspection date: 05/12/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 7 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 360 |
| Number of Pupils: | 352 |
| Number of Boys: | 183 |
| Number of Girls: | 169 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 4% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 7.5% | 8.2% |
| White British | 63.60% | 224 |
| Other White | 8.20% | 29 |
| Chinese | 6.50% | 23 |
| White and Asian | 4.80% | 17 |
| Other Mixed | 4.30% | 15 |
| Bangladeshi | 2.60% | 9 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 1.40% | 5 |
| Other Asian | 1.40% | 5 |
| Indian | 1.40% | 5 |
| White and Black African | 1.40% | 5 |
| Pakistani | 0.90% | 3 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.90% | 3 |
| African | 0.90% | 3 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.60% | 2 |
| Irish | 0.30% | 1 |
| Other Black | 0.30% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.30% | 1 |
| Unclassified | 0.30% | 1 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muriel Green Nursery School Church Crescent , AL3 5JB | 3out of 4 | 1,643 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernards Heath Junior School Watson Avenue , AL3 5HP | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Bernards Heath Infant and Nursery School 154 Sandridge Road , AL1 4AP | 3out of 4 | 419 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Garden Fields Junior Mixed and Infant School Townsend Drive , AL3 5RL | 3out of 4 | 692 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Garden Fields Junior Mixed and Infant School Townsend Drive , AL3 5RL | - not rated | 692 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Maple Primary School Hall Place Gardens , AL1 3SW | 3out of 4 | 1,108 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Albans Girls' School Sandridgebury Lane , AL3 6DB | - not rated | 725 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Girls | More About School |
| St Albans Girls' School Sandridgebury Lane , AL3 6DB | - not rated | 725 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Girls | More About School |
| Loreto College Hatfield Road , AL1 3RQ | - not rated | 1,440 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Girls | More About School |
| Loreto College Hatfield Road , AL1 3RQ | - not rated | 1,440 yd | Academy converter | No | Girls | More About School |
| Verulam School Brampton Road , AL1 4PR | - not rated | 1,443 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Boys | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oaklands College Oaklands Campus , Hatfield Road AL4 0JA | - not rated | 3,236 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heathlands School Heathlands Drive , AL3 5AY | 4out of 4 | 288 yd | Community special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Batchwood School Townsend Drive , AL3 5RP | 3out of 4 | 898 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| St Albans High School for Girls Townsend Avenue , St Albans AL1 3SJ | - not rated | 982 yd | Other independent school | No | Girls | More About School |
| Lyndale School 3-5 Hillside Road , AL1 3QR | - not rated | 986 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| St Albans Independent College 69 London Road , AL1 1LN | - not rated | 1,955 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.