Ashlyns School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,561 pupils
94% stayed in education · Attainment 8 57.9
Free schools
The Reach Free School
- Pupils on roll
- 734of 840 places
- Free school meals
- 20.6%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 119
- Ofsted
- Standards maintained, 16 October 2024Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 123 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Reach Free School in 2023, 48% stayed on in The Reach Free School’s own sixth form (Hertfordshire average 58%), 42% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 48 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 58% went to university (Hertfordshire 42%, England 37%), and 35% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Spanish is unusually popular at GCSE: 67% of the year group took it, against 19% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were in line with the national picture: Attainment 8 of 44.2 against 46.1 across England and 50.6 in Hertfordshire, with 35% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
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 | The Reach Free School | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 123 | 14,400 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 93% | 95% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 91% | 92% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 48% | 58% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 1% | 2% | 13% |
| — further education college | 42% | 31% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 1% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 7% | 3% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 0% | 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 | The Reach Free School | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 48 | 14,189 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 88% | 82% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 58% | 42% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 35% | 24% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 5% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 23% | 28% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 4% | 13% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | The Reach Free School | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 44.2 | 50.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 35% | 53% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 62% | 72% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 70% | 47% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.11 | 4.56 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 22% | 18% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 39.9 | 34.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 45.5 | 54.1 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 18% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 117 | 98% | 88% | 16% | 22% | 69% |
| English Language | 117 | 98% | 89% | 9% | 20% | 66% |
| English Literature | 115 | 97% | 86% | 7% | 21% | 61% |
| Combined Science | 85 | 71% | 65% | 9% | 9% | 59% |
| Spanish | 80 | 67% | 19% | 14% | 27% | 91% |
| Geography | 60 | 50% | 41% | 18% | 25% | 63% |
| Business Studies | 48 | 40% | 18% | 8% | 20% | 67% |
| Computer Science | 39 | 33% | 13% | 26% | 30% | 82% |
| History | 37 | 31% | 41% | 19% | 26% | 57% |
| Biology | 33 | 28% | 23% | 15% | 45% | 79% |
| Physics | 28 | 24% | 23% | 29% | 46% | 89% |
| Chemistry | 28 | 24% | 23% | 46% | 47% | 96% |
| Fine Art | 21 | 18% | 9% | 19% | 28% | 81% |
| Drama | 13 | 11% | 7% | 23% | 27% | 69% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 13 | 11% | 8% | 15% | 21% | 85% |
| Religious Studies | 7 | 6% | 31% | 43% | 32% | 100% |
| Music | 5 | 4% | 5% | — | 33% | — |
| French | 3 | 3% | 18% | — | 29% | — |
| Arabic | 2 | 2% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
| Russian | 2 | 2% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Polish | 2 | 2% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports Studies | 27 | 53% | — |
| Tourism | 14 | 27% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 13 | 25% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 6 | 12% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | The Reach Free School | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 105 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 51 | 8,082 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 30.70 | 36.82 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 12% | 19% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology | 20 | 39% | 13% |
| Psychology | 19 | 37% | 23% |
| Biology | 15 | 29% | 20% |
| Mathematics | 11 | 22% | 31% |
| English Literature | 9 | 18% | 11% |
| Religious Studies | 9 | 18% | 4% |
| Chemistry | 8 | 16% | 17% |
| Computer Science | 7 | 14% | 5% |
| History | 7 | 14% | 13% |
| Spanish | 6 | 12% | 2% |
| Film Studies | — | — | 2% |
| Russian | — | — | 0% |
| Politics | — | — | 6% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Portuguese | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 19 | 37% | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 7 | 14% | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | — | — | — |
| Nutrition / Diet | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma at Level 3 | — | — | — |
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.