Merchant Taylors' School

Independent school · Boys · ages 11–18 · with sixth form · selective (grammar)Hertfordshire, Northwood HA6school website

An independent school in Hertfordshire for ages 11–18: destination measures are not published for independent schools, so this page relies on the school’s own results and subjects.

Ofsted
—
Places
—
Pupils
1,051

Ofsted: Not covered by Ofsted school inspections. Places: the last distance at which places were offered is not on file (it comes from Hertfordshire’s allocation statistics). Pupils: of 1,175 places, including the sixth form.

After Year 11 · age 16

Where do pupils go at 16?

The Department for Education has not published destination figures for this school (new school, small cohort or not a state-funded school).

After sixth form · age 18

Where do sixth-formers go at 18?

No published destinations for sixth-form leavers yet.

Universities · named

Which universities did they go to?

1university has told us how many applied, were offered a place and enrolled

Named universities — most schools do not publish this; the official DfE figures above only say how many went to university and how selective those universities were.

universities’ answers to sch.today’s Freedom of Information requests · request tracker

What universities’ own admissions data say3

For each entry year: how many of this school’s students applied, received an offer and enrolled. Counts under five are shown as “<5” to protect individuals. Applications exclude Clearing; enrolments are students who completed registration.

UniversityEntry yearAppliedOffersEnrolled
University of Bristol202557497
20245244<5
2023563711

A university’s enrolment count and a school’s own destinations list can differ: the school counts places accepted in the summer, the university counts students registered in the autumn.

GCSE · Year 11 · 2025

How do GCSE results compare?

21.7Attainment 8 score, out of 90
This school21.7
Hertfordshire50.6
England46.1

Attainment 8 — average GCSE points across eight subjects, English and maths counted twice; grade 5 in everything scores 50. Not comparable for independent schools, which often enter pupils for IGCSEs that the Department for Education does not count.

DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · 171 pupils in Year 11

0% got grade 5 or above in both English and maths (Hertfordshire 53%, England 45%).

Grade 5 — a “strong pass”; grade 4 is a “standard pass”. Progress 8 is not published for 2025: this cohort had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020–21, so there is no baseline.

All GCSE measures10
MeasureMerchant Taylors' SchoolHertfordshireEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)21.750.646.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths0%53%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths0%72%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects0%47%41%
EBacc average point score1.224.564.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort—18%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils—34.234.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils—54.150.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)———
English as an additional language—16%19%
Subjects · 2025

What do pupils study?

22.66%of the Key Stage 3, GCSE and A level curriculum mapped by the subjects taken here

Mapped — the share of the 3,288 learning outcomes the Department for Education sets for these stages that the subjects taken here cover, weighted by how many pupils take each.

DfE subject entries 2025 · curriculum catalogue by sch.today

Design and Technology stands out at GCSE — 49% of the year group took it, against 11% across England. At A level it is Further Mathematics: 16% of students (England 5%).

Mathematics & Statistics19%
Digital & ICT Skills19%
Green & Sustainability16%
Business & Administration11%
Engineering & Manufacturing11%

Fields of knowledge — twelve fields the curriculum catalogue sorts every learning outcome into; the bars show the GCSE and A level ring.

GCSE subjects17

Entries as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Geography11165%41%91%25%100%
Design and Technology8449%11%90%23%100%
Computer Science6337%13%87%30%98%
Latin3118%1%100%74%100%
Physical Education2816%11%75%24%100%
Fine Art2816%9%71%28%100%
Drama2112%7%76%27%100%
Religious Studies169%31%94%32%100%
Music159%5%67%33%100%
Classical Greek138%0%92%92%100%
Italian21%0%—53%—
Russian21%0%—87%—
Japanese11%0%—53%—
English Literature11%86%—21%—
English Language11%89%—20%—
Punjabi11%0%—48%—
Arabic11%1%—47%—
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications5
SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Additional Mathematics FSMQ7447%—
Music performance: Group117%—
Music performance: Group64%—
Music performance: Group21%—
Computer Science11%—
A level subjects22

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematics10970%31%
Economics5837%13%
Chemistry4730%17%
History3019%13%
Biology2818%20%
Further Mathematics2516%5%
Politics2214%6%
Philosophy1912%1%
Geography1812%10%
French1610%1%
Computer Science149%5%
Psychology138%23%
English Literature117%11%
Product Design85%2%
Latin74%0%
Spanish64%2%
Classical Greek——0%
German——0%
English Language——4%
Music——0%
Physical Education——3%
Fine Art——3%
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses1
SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)1812%—
A level results8
MeasureMerchant Taylors' SchoolHertfordshireEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study303——
— of whom A level students1568,082261,341
Average A level gradeAB-B-
Average points per A level entry48.5836.8235.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsAB-B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects53%19%18%
Average grade, applied general courses———
Average grade, T levels———
Fields of knowledge, all stages12
Green & Sustainability31%
Digital & ICT Skills31%
Mathematics & Statistics28%
Natural Sciences27%
Language & Communication25%
Transversal Skills23%
Health & Safety20%
Engineering & Manufacturing18%
Arts & Humanities15%
Business & Administration14%
Social & Cultural Skills12%
Law & Public Administration10%

Ideas pupils meet most, weighted by the share of the cohort taking the subjects that teach them:

graph 10.5mathematical model 7.4vector 6.5fraction 6.4force 5.6vocabulary 5.3particle model 5.0percentage 4.9exponential function 4.5gradient 4.4photosynthesis 4.3observation 4.3scale 4.2sustainability 4.2change of state 4.0conclusion 3.8integration 3.8measurement 3.8si unit 3.6ratio 3.6sequence 3.5differential equation 3.5range 3.5trigonometric identity 3.5

Coverage counts a subject’s outcomes in proportion to the share of the cohort entered for it; Combined Science counts as two thirds of the three separate sciences. Levels follow ISCED 2011 as UNESCO maps it for the UK: Key Stage 3 is ISCED 2; GCSE and A level are both ISCED 3. Methodology: about the data.

Careers

Which jobs use what’s taught here?

12apprenticeship standards closely match the subjects pupils take

A match of what’s taught, not of entry requirements: the standards whose knowledge and skills share the most ideas with the GCSEs and A levels taken here, weighted by how many pupils take each subject.

Level 3 / Level 6 — England’s qualification levels: 3 is A level standard, 4–5 are higher apprenticeships, 6 is a bachelor’s degree.

Skills England apprenticeship standards (Open Government Licence v3.0) · ESCO occupations, © European Union, matched by sch.today · how the match works

Water industry asset maintenance technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses graph, data collection, ratio from Computer Science, Design and Technology, Economics and 10 more · jobs: consumer electronics repair technician, industrial electrician, electrician
Geoscientist (integrated degree)Level 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses conduct field work, data collection, climate change from Computer Science, Geography, Geography and 3 more · jobs: geologist, geological engineer, exploration geologist
Process industry manufacturing technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses polymer, graph, material property from Biology, Further Mathematics, Design and Technology and 3 more · jobs: chemical engineering technician, chemical manufacturing quality technician, chemical production manager
More apprenticeships9
ScientistLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses conclusion, measurement, sampling technique from Biology, Chemistry, Further Mathematics and 7 more · jobs: physicist, analytical chemist, geneticist
Data technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · digital · uses mean, data structure, integer from Computer Science, Geography, Mathematics and 7 more · jobs: data analyst, database administrator, data scientist
Laboratory technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · health and science · uses graph, median, data presentation from Biology, Chemistry, Economics and 6 more · jobs: bacteriology technician, scientific laboratory technician, biology technician
Science manufacturing technician 2023Level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses graph, unit conversion, dna from Biology, Mathematics, Science · jobs: pharmaceutical engineer, chemical manufacturing quality technician, pharmacy technician
Manufacturing engineer (degree)Level 6 degree apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses force, data presentation, conclusion from Biology, Design and Technology, Mathematics and 2 more · jobs: maintenance and repair engineer, industrial engineer, production engineer
Electro-mechanical engineerLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses design brief, material property, emergent technologies from Design and Technology, Further Mathematics, Mathematics and 3 more · jobs: electrical engineer, electromechanical engineer, instrumentation engineer
Junior visual effects - VFX artist or assistant technical director - ATDLevel 4 (higher) apprenticeship · creative and design · uses data collection, scale, data structure from Computer Science, Psychology, Art and Design and 5 more · jobs: 3D modeller, technical director, animation layout artist
Non-destructive technologies technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses ratio, si unit, data presentation from Design and Technology, Economics, Mathematics and 4 more
Artificial intelligence (AI) data specialistLevel 7 degree apprenticeship · digital · uses data presentation, data collection, reliability from Computer Science, Economics, Geography and 7 more · jobs: ICT intelligent systems designer
Admissions

How do you get a place?

Independent schools admit directly and set their own dates and entrance tests; council allocation statistics do not cover them.

  1. Year 6Register with the school; entrance assessments are usually in the autumn or January, offers in February
  2. Dec–FebYear 11: apply directly to the sixth form; most close applications in these months
Hertfordshire

Compare with nearby schools

Stayed in education at 16 · Attainment 8 · pupils

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.