West Herts College
Fewer than one in five students go on to university — well below the England rate.
of 16–18 leavers started university · Hertfordshire 42% · England 37% · DfE destination measures, students who left in 2023
- Ofsted
- —
Ofsted: Not covered by Ofsted school inspections.
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Barnfield College (URN 130599, until 1 February 2019).
Where do sixth-formers go at 18?
DfE 16–18 destination measures · 2,636 students who left in 2023
15% went to university (England 37%). 6% started an apprenticeship (England 7%). 38% went into work and 21% had no steady place a year on (England 28% and 16%).
Most selective universities — the third of UK universities whose entrants hold the highest grades; the share is of students who completed level 3 qualifications.
Full breakdown7
| Measure | West Herts College | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 2,636 | 14,189 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 70% | 82% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 15% | 42% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 3% | 24% | 19% |
| Further education | 10% | 5% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 38% | 28% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 21% | 13% | 16% |
Which universities did they go to?
Named universities — most schools do not publish this; the official DfE figures above only say how many went to university and how selective those universities were.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.
| University | Entry year | Applied | Offers | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Bristol | 2025 | 18 | 8 | <5 |
| 2024 | 15 | <5 | — | |
| 2023 | 19 | <5 | <5 |
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.
What do pupils study?
DfE subject entries 2025 · curriculum catalogue by sch.today
Fields of knowledge — twelve fields the curriculum catalogue sorts every learning outcome into; the bars show the GCSE and A level ring.
A level subjects12
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | — | — | 20% |
| Business Studies | — | — | 13% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| Economics | — | — | 13% |
| Law | — | — | 4% |
| Mathematics | — | — | 31% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Polish | — | — | 0% |
| Portuguese | — | — | 0% |
| Psychology | — | — | 23% |
| Sociology | — | — | 13% |
| Turkish | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses37
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 180 | 100% | — |
| Psychology | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 123 | 100% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 87 | 100% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 67 | 100% | — |
| Engineering Studies | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 44 | 100% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 39 | 100% | — |
| Electrical installation (Buildings / Construction) | VRQ Level 3 | 37 | 100% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 37 | 100% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 35 | 100% | — |
| Engineering Studies | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 32 | 100% | — |
| Tourism | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 28 | 100% | — |
| Childcare Skills | VRQ Level 3 | 27 | 96% | — |
| Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined) | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 26 | 93% | — |
| Aerospace Engineering | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 23 | 82% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 23 | 82% | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 23 | 82% | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 21 | 75% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 19 | 68% | — |
| Electrical installation (Buildings / Construction) | VRQ Level 2 | 10 | 36% | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | 8 | 29% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 8 | 29% | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | 8 | 29% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 29% | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (All) | 7 | 25% | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 7 | 25% | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 7 | 25% | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (All) | 6 | 21% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 6 | 21% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined) | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | — | — | — |
| English Literature | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| English Literature | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
A level results8
| Measure | West Herts College | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 7,855 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 28 | 8,082 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | D- | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 16.11 | 36.82 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | E | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 0% | 19% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
How do you get a place?
Admission is by application to the provider, usually against GCSE grades for each course; there is no distance rule.
- Dec–FebYear 11: apply directly; most close applications in these months
- AugGCSE results day: places are confirmed against the entry grades
Compare with nearby schools
More Hertfordshire schools3
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.