The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
In Hertford’s Sele area, this is a school that has been working steadily to improve consistency in classrooms and confidence in the wider community. The tone is deliberately inclusive, with a clear message that pupils should feel safe, valued, and supported to succeed. That ambition is matched by practical structures, including a strong form tutor system, a tight focus on reading where pupils need it, and a deliberate programme of enrichment that runs through weekly routines rather than sitting on the margins.
The most useful headline for parents is that the latest Ofsted inspection (May 2025) graded the school as Good across all judgement areas, including sixth form provision. That matters, not just as a label, but because it signals a school that is now delivering a calmer, more consistent experience than families may remember from earlier years.
The school positions itself as a welcoming, inclusive community, and that shows up in how it talks about relationships and routines. In the latest inspection narrative, pupils are described as happy, feeling valued, and learning in an orderly environment with strong relationships between staff and pupils. This kind of climate typically suits students who learn best when adults are visible, expectations are explicit, and behaviour is not left to chance.
Leadership is an important part of the school’s recent story. Mr Christopher Quach has been headteacher since April 2020, and his background and stated priorities emphasise inclusion, student wellbeing, and higher expectations. In practice, parents should expect a school that is trying to be clearer and more consistent about what good learning and good conduct look like, with staff working in a more aligned way than in the past.
The Sele School also has the feel of a local institution rather than an isolated site. It opened in 1964 and marked its Diamond Jubilee with a community celebration in November 2025, which hints at a long relationship with families across Hertford and surrounding villages. For many parents, that history matters less than day-to-day culture, but it often correlates with strong local networks, familiar transition pathways, and community participation.
At GCSE level, outcomes sit below England average on the FindMySchool performance distribution, and this is reflected in both the ranking band and the Progress 8 figure.
This places the school below England average overall, within the lower-performing 40% of schools in England on this measure.
The Progress 8 score is -0.26, which indicates that, on average, pupils made below-average progress compared with pupils nationally who had similar starting points.
On headline measures, Attainment 8 is 41.3, and the average EBacc APS is 3.46. The share achieving grades 5 and above in the EBacc is 7.4%.
The important context for parents is that school improvement and performance data can move at different speeds. Inspection evidence points to improving consistency in curriculum delivery and better alignment across staff. That is often a prerequisite for stronger results, but it does not automatically translate into rapid year-on-year jumps. Families should read the current trajectory as “improving foundations”, then look closely at how the school supports attendance, literacy, and subject mastery, because those are the levers most likely to shift outcomes.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
—
% of students achieving grades 9-7
Curriculum design is presented as deliberate rather than improvised. In the most recent inspection narrative, the curriculum is described as thoughtfully constructed, with a broadened subject offer so pupils have stronger preparation for future steps. One specific example is the addition of French, which increases language opportunities and supports pathways that include the English Baccalaureate subject suite.
In classroom practice, the picture is broadly positive with a clear development priority. Teaching is described as typically delivering the intended curriculum well, with checking for learning and timely addressing of gaps. The improvement point is about pitch and progression, ensuring that pupils move on to more complex content as soon as they are ready, rather than staying too long on work that becomes too easy. For parents, this is a useful question to explore at open events: how do departments decide when pupils are ready for stretch, and how is that consistency monitored across classes?
There is also clear emphasis on literacy. The school identifies pupils who struggle with reading and provides interventions and reading programmes to build confidence and competence. This is especially relevant for secondary families, because reading fluency is strongly linked to success across humanities, science, and even maths problem solving.
For families weighing post-16 routes, it is important to separate two things: the experience of sixth form as a small setting, and the destination data for leavers.
The school’s sixth form is described as providing individualised support and guidance on curriculum choices, helping students move confidently through courses and plan next steps in education and employment. Provision includes A levels and Level 3 pathways, with students typically taking three main subjects, alongside a Certificate in Financial Studies in Year 12, before narrowing if appropriate in Year 13. This model tends to suit students who value structure and guidance, and who want adults to be proactive about study habits, course fit, and next steps planning.
For destinations, the available DfE leaver data (2023 to 2024 cohort) reflects a small cohort size of 11 students. Of those leavers, 18% progressed to university, 27% went to further education, 9% entered employment, and 0% entered apprenticeships. With small cohorts, percentages can move sharply year to year, so parents should treat this as a snapshot rather than a fixed pattern.
Year 7 admission is coordinated through Hertfordshire’s secondary transfer process, with the key statutory date being the application deadline of 31 October 2025 for September 2026 entry. Late applications can still be treated as on time if the local authority receives a written explanation by 2 December 2025, subject to the published rules.
The school is its own admissions authority, so families should read the school’s determined admission arrangements alongside the Hertfordshire timeline. If you are planning a move, FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful for understanding how realistic your location is relative to recent allocation patterns, even when published cut-off distances are not available.
The most recent published demand indicator available here suggests an oversubscribed profile with 3.42 applications per offer, which aligns with the reality that entry can be competitive in popular Hertford options. )
Entry to sixth form is conditional on meeting academic thresholds. The published requirement is five qualifications at Grade 5 or better, with at least Grade 5 in subjects students want to continue at A level. The admissions arrangements also state that the published admission number for external applicants is 25, with external applications considered once internal students have been accommodated.
A practical detail many families miss is timing. The sixth form application form instructs applicants to return it “by the end of November” for admission the following September. If your child is in Year 11 and considering an external sixth form move, you should treat the autumn term as the decisive period for getting applications in order.
Applications
188
Total received
Places Offered
55
Subscription Rate
3.4x
Apps per place
Pastoral structures are clearly set out. The school describes a form tutor model where tutors monitor attainment, attitude, behaviour, and wellbeing, with pastoral leaders overseeing year group patterns and attendance. That kind of design tends to work best when communication is prompt and parents know who the first point of contact is, which the school explicitly intends.
There is also a firm approach to conduct and routines, including the use of after-school corrections and detention structures, with an emphasis on parents supporting consistent expectations. For some families, that clarity is reassuring. For others, it is a prompt to ask how sanctions are balanced with recognition, mentoring, and restorative approaches.
On safeguarding, the May 2025 inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective. Parents should still ask the practical questions that matter to them, including how concerns are reported, how online safety is handled, and what happens when attendance patterns become worrying, because persistent absence is flagged as an improvement priority.
A distinctive feature here is that enrichment is designed into the week rather than being entirely optional. Electives run on Friday afternoons, and students choose from a set of activities aimed at building confidence, social connection, and wider skills. The published examples give a flavour of the offer: Chess, Crochet (supported by the librarian and a local community contributor), Choir, Lawn Bowls, Lego, Craft, and Basketball.
Some options also link to wider opportunities. The school highlights involvement in We Build It Better, framed as an engineering pathway connected to Airbus and Flight Works Alabama. For students who are motivated by hands-on problem solving and real-world contexts, this kind of programme can be an important engagement tool, especially when it is embedded in the weekly rhythm rather than offered as a one-off event.
Outside the Friday structure, the school also runs after-school clubs supported by external funding, including Acrobatic Dance, Hockey, Street Dance, and Rugby. Additional activities have included a Coding Club (supported by donated Raspberry Pi devices) and a Boccia club, which indicates a willingness to broaden sport and enrichment beyond the standard menu.
For parents comparing schools, FindMySchool’s Local Hub and comparison tools are a sensible next step once you have a shortlist. The key is not just the number of activities, but whether enrichment is accessible to your child, sustained week to week, and aligned with the school day and transport realities.
The school day begins with doors open and breakfast available from 08:00, with pupils expected to arrive by 08:35 to be on time for registration at 08:40. Lessons run through to 15:15 Monday to Thursday, with Friday afternoons used for enrichment, so finish times can vary depending on the activity.
Travel planning is unusually well documented. The school promotes walking, cycling, and public transport, and notes it holds Modeshift STARS Outstanding Accreditation for its travel plan (2025), with recent regional recognition in 2024 and 2025. For families in surrounding villages, the school notes county-supported transport from several outlying areas, and lists contract coach routes (including R66, R77, and R879) serving different corridors.
Bus links are described as close to the main entrance, and the school references Hertford East railway station and Hertford North mainline station as onward travel points. A practical safeguarding note is that school gates are closed throughout the day; anyone arriving outside normal arrival windows must be admitted via reception procedures at the gate.
Outcomes are still rebuilding. GCSE indicators (including Progress 8 at -0.26 and the FindMySchool ranking band) suggest the school has more ground to make up on attainment and progress. This matters most for families seeking a strongly exam-driven environment.
Attendance is a stated improvement priority. Persistent absence is flagged as a key issue to address, and parents should ask what systems are used to identify early warning signs and intervene before patterns become entrenched.
Small sixth form cohort effects. With a cohort size of 11 in the latest available destination results, post-16 experience can feel more personalised, but subject set viability and social breadth can be more limited than in large sixth form centres.
Behaviour routines are structured and sanction-led. The published pastoral approach includes after-school corrections and detentions. This will suit students who respond well to clear boundaries, but families should check how the school supports pupils who struggle with regulation or confidence.
The Sele School is best understood as a community secondary with a clear improvement narrative and a strong emphasis on consistency, inclusion, and structured enrichment. The May 2025 inspection profile and the embedded Friday Electives model point to a school that is trying to make everyday experience calmer, more purposeful, and more engaging.
Who it suits: families in Hertford and nearby villages who want a state school with a supportive pastoral structure, a clear weekly rhythm, and a broad enrichment offer that includes practical STEM-linked opportunities as well as arts and sport. The key decision point is whether the academic outcomes and progress measures match your child’s needs right now, or whether you are prioritising a school that is improving steadily and visibly.
The most recent inspection profile is positive, with the May 2025 Ofsted inspection grading the school as Good across all judgement areas, including sixth form. For families, the key question is fit, the school’s current direction suggests improving consistency and a calmer learning environment, while GCSE progress measures indicate there is still work to do to match stronger local comparators.
Headline indicators include an Attainment 8 score of 41.3 and a Progress 8 score of -0.26, which suggests below-average progress from similar starting points. The FindMySchool GCSE ranking places the school 2917th in England, which sits below England average overall.
Applications follow Hertfordshire’s coordinated secondary transfer process. The key deadline is 31 October 2025, with a late deadline of 2 December 2025 for submitting a written explanation that may allow the application to be treated as on time, subject to the published rules.
The published requirement is five qualifications at Grade 5 or better, with at least Grade 5 in subjects students want to study at A level. External applicants are considered once internal students have been accommodated, with an external admission number stated as 25.
A key feature is Friday afternoon Electives, with options including Choir, Chess, Crochet, Lego, Lawn Bowls, Basketball and an engineering-linked We Build It Better pathway. Additional after-school activities have included Acrobatic Dance, Street Dance, Hockey and Rugby.
Get in touch with the school directly
Disclaimer
Information on this page is compiled, analysed, and processed from publicly available sources including the Department for Education (DfE), Ofsted, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and official school websites.
Our rankings, metrics, and assessments are derived from this data using our own methodologies and represent our independent analysis rather than official standings.
While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee that all information is current, complete, or error-free. Data may change without notice, and schools and/or local authorities should be contacted directly to verify any details before making decisions.
FindMySchool does not endorse any particular school, and rankings reflect specific metrics rather than overall quality.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we accept no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on information provided. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us.
