The Grove Academy is a primary school in Watford, serving pupils aged 3 to 11. The school is a academy sponsor led and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It has a none religious character.
The Grove Academy currently has around 486 pupils on roll, which is about 68% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 47.5% boys and 52.5% girls. Around 32.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. Pupil backgrounds are varied across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 6.4%. Persistent absence is recorded at 17.1%.
Pupil backgrounds are varied, with white british pupils forming the largest group at around 35.6%. other white pupils make up about 18.7%
Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Fourth Avenue, Watford, WD25 9RH |
| Website: | www.thegroveacademy.org.uk |
| Telephone: | 01923674463 |
| School Type: | Academy sponsor led |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Hertfordshire |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Sarah Hennigan |
| Religious character: | None |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 138507 |
Ofsted inspection date: 20/05/2025
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 3 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 710 |
| Number of Pupils: | 486 |
| Number of Boys: | 231 |
| Number of Girls: | 255 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 6.4% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 17.1% | 8.2% |
| White British | 35.60% | 173 |
| Other White | 18.70% | 91 |
| Pakistani | 8.40% | 41 |
| Indian | 8.00% | 39 |
| African | 7.20% | 35 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 4.50% | 22 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 4.30% | 21 |
| Other Asian | 3.90% | 19 |
| Other Mixed | 3.30% | 16 |
| White and Asian | 1.90% | 9 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 1.00% | 5 |
| White and Black African | 1.00% | 5 |
| Caribbean | 1.00% | 5 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.40% | 2 |
| Unclassified | 0.40% | 2 |
| Other Black | 0.20% | 1 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingswood Nursery School Briar Road , WD25 0DX | 4out of 4 | 1,218 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Wall Hall Nursery School University of Hertfordshire , Watford Campus WD25 8AT | - not rated | 2,186 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lea Farm Junior School Fourth Avenue , WD25 9PQ | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| The Grove Academy Fourth Avenue , WD25 9RH | - not rated | 0 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Berrygrove Primary and Nursery School Fourth Road , WD25 9RH | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Garston Infants' School Fourth Avenue , WD25 9PP | - not rated | 45 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Meriden Junior School Harvest End , Garston WD2 4TB | - not rated | 240 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Combe School and Community College Horseshoe Lane , WD25 7HW | - not rated | 1,819 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Future Academies Watford Horseshoe Lane , Garston WD25 7HW | - not rated | 1,819 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Saint Michael's Catholic High School High Elms Lane , Garston WD25 0SS | - not rated | 1,957 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Saint Michael's Catholic High School High Elms Lane , Garston WD25 0SS | - not rated | 1,957 yd | Voluntary aided school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Watford UTC 18 Colonial Way , WD24 4PT | - not rated | 1,998 yd | University technical college | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Herts College Watford Campus , Hempstead Road WD17 3EZ | - not rated | 3,216 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanborough Primary School Appletree Walk , WD25 0DQ | - not rated | 763 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| International Stanborough School Stanborough Park , WD25 9JT | - not rated | 860 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Stanborough Secondary School Stanborough Park , WD25 9JT | - not rated | 860 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Garston Manor School Horseshoe Lane , Garston WD25 7HR | 3out of 4 | 1,722 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Northfield School Church Road , WD17 4QB | - not rated | 2,310 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Girls | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.