Ashlyns School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,561 pupils
94% stayed in education · Attainment 8 57.9
Academy converter
King James Academy Royston
- Pupils on roll
- 947of 1,321 places
- Free school meals
- 18.6%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 93
- Ofsted
- Good, 23 April 2024Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registrations: Roysia Middle School (URN 137657, until 1 January 2020); The Greneway School (URN 137658, until 1 January 2020); Meridian School (URN 117539, until 1 November 2011).
What the data says
Of the 119 pupils who finished Year 11 at King James Academy Royston in 2023, 5% stayed on in King James Academy Royston’s own sixth form (Hertfordshire average 58%), 41% went to a further education college and 1% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 12 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 92% went to university (Hertfordshire 42%, England 37%), and 10% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Sixth form colleges are the main next step: 41% of leavers went to one, roughly three times the England rate of 13%.
Food Preparation and Nutrition is unusually popular at GCSE: 34% of the year group took it, against 8% of pupils across England.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Hertfordshire and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | King James Academy Royston | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 119 | 14,400 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 95% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 87% | 92% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 5% | 58% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 41% | 2% | 13% |
| — further education college | 41% | 31% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 1% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 6% | 3% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | King James Academy Royston | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 12 | 14,189 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 100% | 82% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 92% | 42% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 10% | 24% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 5% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 8% | 28% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 0% | 13% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | King James Academy Royston | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 40.3 | 50.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 34% | 53% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 53% | 72% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 25% | 47% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.52 | 4.56 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 18% | 18% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 22.4 | 34.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 44.4 | 54.1 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 1% | 16% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 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.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 92 | 99% | 89% | 5% | 20% | 60% |
| Mathematics | 92 | 99% | 88% | 14% | 22% | 59% |
| English Literature | 91 | 98% | 86% | 4% | 21% | 58% |
| Combined Science | 80 | 86% | 65% | 8% | 9% | 51% |
| Geography | 43 | 46% | 41% | 9% | 25% | 53% |
| History | 40 | 43% | 41% | 10% | 26% | 48% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 32 | 34% | 8% | 9% | 21% | 53% |
| Spanish | 30 | 32% | 19% | 23% | 27% | 77% |
| Religious Studies | 25 | 27% | 31% | 8% | 32% | 48% |
| Physical Education | 23 | 25% | 11% | 9% | 24% | 52% |
| Fine Art | 18 | 19% | 9% | 17% | 28% | 94% |
| Design and Technology | 15 | 16% | 11% | 13% | 23% | 60% |
| Computer Science | 14 | 15% | 13% | 14% | 30% | 36% |
| Biology | 12 | 13% | 23% | 33% | 45% | 83% |
| Chemistry | 10 | 11% | 23% | 40% | 47% | 100% |
| Physics | 10 | 11% | 23% | 50% | 46% | 90% |
| Drama | 5 | 5% | 7% | — | 27% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 41 | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 8 | — | — |
| Health Studies | 8 | — | — |
| Sports Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 2 | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Hertfordshire
Barclay Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,044 pupils
91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.5
Barnwell School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,270 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.5
Beaumont School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,722 pupils
98% stayed in education · Attainment 8 62.6
Birchwood High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,417 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.1
Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School
Academy converter · sixth form · 942 pupils
97% stayed in education · Attainment 8 51.9
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.