Sir John Lawes School is a secondary school in Harpenden, serving pupils aged 11 to 18. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It has a none religious character. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
Sir John Lawes School currently has around 1356 pupils on roll, which is about 113% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 53.9% boys and 46.1% girls. Around 8.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 4.1%. Persistent absence is recorded at 7.9%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (63.7%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Outstanding. This indicates exceptional performance across all areas. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 96% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (93%) , including 66% who stay in school sixth forms and 26% progressing to further education , while 3% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Manland Way, Harpenden, AL5 4QP |
| Website: | http://www.sjl.herts.sch.uk |
| Telephone: | 01582760043 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Secondary |
| Local authority: | Hertfordshire |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mr Philip Newbery |
| Religious character: | None |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 137270 |
Ofsted inspection date: 28/03/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 11 - 18 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 1200 |
| Number of Pupils: | 1356 |
| Number of Boys: | 731 |
| Number of Girls: | 625 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 4.1% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 7.9% | 8.2% |
| White British | 63.70% | 864 |
| Chinese | 6.70% | 91 |
| Other White | 5.50% | 74 |
| Other Mixed | 5.20% | 71 |
| Indian | 3.50% | 47 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 3.10% | 42 |
| White and Asian | 2.90% | 40 |
| Other Asian | 2.10% | 29 |
| African | 2.10% | 29 |
| Pakistani | 1.30% | 17 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.30% | 17 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.10% | 15 |
| Irish | 0.40% | 5 |
| Other Black | 0.40% | 5 |
| Caribbean | 0.30% | 4 |
| White and Black African | 0.20% | 3 |
| Unclassified | 0.10% | 2 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.10% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batford Nursery School Holcroft Road , AL5 5BQ | 4out of 4 | 802 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manland Primary School Sauncey Avenue , AL5 4QW | 3out of 4 | 183 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Sauncey Wood Primary School Pickford Hill , AL5 5HL | - not rated | 896 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Crabtree Junior School Crabtree Lane , AL5 5PU | - not rated | 901 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Crabtree Junior School Crabtree Lane , AL5 5PU | 4out of 4 | 901 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Crabtree Infants' School Crabtree Lane , AL5 5PU | 4out of 4 | 929 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir John Lawes School Manland Way , AL5 4QP | - not rated | 0 yd | Foundation school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Sir John Lawes School Manland Way , AL5 4QP | 4out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| St George's School Sun Lane , AL5 4TD | - not rated | 579 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St George's School Sun Lane , AL5 4TD | - not rated | 579 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Katherine Warington School Lower Luton Road , AL5 5FH | 3out of 4 | 1,021 yd | Free schools | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmfield School Ambrose Lane , AL5 4DA | - not rated | 1,115 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Harpenden Preparatory School 53 Luton Road , AL5 2UE | - not rated | 1,260 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Hilda's School 28 Douglas Road , AL5 2ES | - not rated | 1,458 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Girls | More About School |
| The King's School Elmfield , Ambrose Lane AL5 4DU | - not rated | 1,590 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Aldwickbury School Aldwickbury School , Wheathampstead Road AL5 1AD | - not rated | 1,785 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.