The Grove Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led · Mixed · Hertfordshire
Fourth Avenue, Watford, WD25 9RH
54
headline score
Ranking (England)
—
No ranked results
Ofsted
Not judged
Graded 20/05/2025
Application demand
100%
1st preference success · Not oversubscribed
Attendance
93.4%
17.5% persistently absent
At a glance
Pupils on roll
473
Capacity used
Has space67%
710 places
GCSE rank (England)
—
KS2 rank (England)
—
Application demand
Primary entry · official council applications and offers
100%
1st preference success rate
50 of 50 families who put it first got an offer
59
Places offered
76
Total applications
1.3
Applications per place
| Preference (Sept 2025 entry) | Applications | Offers | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st preference | 50 | 50 | ● 100% |
| 2nd preference | 7 | 1 | ● 14% |
| 3rd preference | 8 | 0 | ● 0% |
| 4th preference | 11 | 1 | ● 9% |
| Total | 76 | 52 | 68% |
1st preference success by year
Hertfordshire lets families list 4 preferences. Source: Department for Education, school-level applications and offers. Offers are made on each school's admissions criteria (e.g. siblings, distance, faith), so check the school's policy.
Last distance offered
From Hertfordshire council's allocation report on offer day. It changes every year, so treat it as a guide.
September 2026 entry
6.00 km
Furthest child offered under "Not Nearest School"
84 applications · 60 places · 60 offered
| Siblings | 21 |
| Children of Staff | 1 |
| Nearest School | 30 |
| Not Nearest School | 7 |
September 2025 entry
3.48 km
Furthest child offered under "Not Nearest School"
76 applications · 90 places · 60 offered
| Siblings | 25 |
| Nearest School | 25 |
| Not Nearest School | 2 |
| Non ranked allocation | 8 |
Currently available for Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Enfield schools, from council allocation reports. Distances are straight-line from home to school.
Details
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Primary
- Age range
- 3–11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Sixth form
- No
- Nursery
- Has Nursery Classes
- Boarding
- No boarders
- Headteacher
- Gary Wicks
- Address
- Fourth Avenue, Watford, WD25 9RH
- Phone
- 01923674463
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Ward / constituency
- Meriden · Watford
- Area
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 138507
Pupils
| Measure | School | LA | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free school meals | 34% | — | — |
| English as additional language | 40% | — | — |
| SEN support | 13% | — | — |
Local deprivation (IDACI quintile 4 of 5)
1 = least deprived area, 5 = most deprived. Context only.
Academy trust: ASPIRE ACADEMIES TRUST
473 pupils · 710 places. Intake figures describe the school's community — they aren't good or bad.
Ofsted inspections
- 25
20 May 2025
Full graded inspection
Not judged overall effectivenessEarly years Outstanding Personal development Good Quality of education Good Safeguarding effective Yes Behaviour and attitudes Good Leadership and management Good
Attendance
2024/2025 school year · 400 pupils
Attendance
93.4%
Share of sessions attended · England 94.5%
Overall absence
6.6%
Sessions missed, any reason · England 5.5%
Persistent absence
17.5%
Pupils missing 10%+ of school · England 14.6%
Severe absence
0.8%
Pupils missing 50%+ of school · England 2.3%
Unauthorised absence
1.9%
Absences the school didn't approve
Persistent absence by year
Source: Department for Education, pupil absence by school (pupils aged 5–15). Lower absence is better. England figures are approximate 2023/24 averages.
Primary results (Key Stage 2)
| Measure | School | LA | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected standard in reading, writing & maths | 54% | — | — |
| Higher standard | 5% | — | — |
| Reading progress | — | — | 0.0 |
| Writing progress | — | — | 0.0 |
| Maths progress | — | — | 0.0 |
Primary results by subject (SATs)
Year 6 pupils meeting each standard, against England
Reading, writing & maths combined
Reading
Writing
Maths
Grammar, punctuation & spelling
Science
England average · Scaled scores run 80–120 (100 = expected standard).
Primary results over time
Expected standard (RWM) by year (2020 and 2021 exams were cancelled)
| Result | School | England (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Expected standard (RWM) | 64% | 61% |
| Higher standard | 0% | 8% |
House prices near the school
Typical sold prices (Land Registry) within 5 km — based on the last distance offered, last 12 months.
Loading prices…
Key application dates
National deadlines in England. Apply through Hertfordshire council, not the school.
| Entry | Deadline | Offer day |
|---|---|---|
| Reception (primary) | 15 January | 16 April (or next working day) |
Source: Get Information About Schools and the DfE school and college performance tables (2023-2024); Oxbridge figures from the University of Cambridge's admissions by UCAS apply centre (Oxford doesn't publish per-school figures). Read the method.