Admissions
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To apply for a place at this school
The Hemel Hempstead School is a Hertfordshire Foundation School. All admissions to The Hemel Hempstead School are determined by Hertfordshire County Council (HCC).
All details about admissions, including the Continuing Interest List, are held at Herts County Council.
Admissions arrangements for September 2025/2026
Proposed changes to the admissions arrangements for The Hemel Hempstead School (the ‘School’), part of Scholars’ Education Trust, (‘SET’) for entry in September 2027/2028
The Hemel Hempstead School is part of the Scholars’ Education Trust, a multi-academy trust based across Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
The Admissions Committee for the school has set its published admission number at 217 pupils to be admitted to Year 7 in the school year which begins in September 2027. Whenever there are more applications than places available, priority will be given to children in accordance with the oversubscription criteria listed below.
The Admissions Committee are proposing to make changes to the School’s admissions arrangements for entry in September 2027 and are seeking your feedback in accordance with the Admissions Code of Practice 2021 (the ‘Code’).
Please read this page and the documents published on it very carefully as it contains important information which you will need to know when applying to the school. This covering letter highlights the key change to the policy, but it is recommended that the proposed admission arrangements are read in full.
The current Admissions Arrangements Oversubscription Criteria are:
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Rule 1 Children looked after and children who were previously looked after, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England, and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangements order or a special guardianship order.
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Rule 2 Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social need to go to the school.
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Rule 3 Sibling children who have a sibling at the school at the time of application, unless the sibling is in the last year of the normal age-range of the school.
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Rule 4 Children of a member of staff at the school.
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Rule 5 Children who live in the Priority Area Six for whom it is their nearest Hertfordshire maintained school or academy that is non-faith.
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Rule 6 Children who live in the priority area who live nearest to the school.
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Rule 7 Children living outside the priority area on the basis of distance, with those living nearest to the school given priority.
The proposed Admission Arrangements Oversubscription Criteria are:
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Rule 1 Children looked after and children who were previously looked after, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England, and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangements order or a special guardianship order.
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Rule 2 Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social need to go to the school.
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Rule 3 Sibling children who have a sibling at the school at the time of application, unless the sibling is in the last year of the normal age-range of the school.
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Rule 4 Children of a member of staff at the school.
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Rule 5 Children who, at the closing date for applications, attend the following priority primary school: Oakleaf Primary School.
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Rule 6 Children who live in the Priority Area Six for whom it is their nearest Hertfordshire maintained school or academy that is non-faith.
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Rule 7 Children who live in the priority area who live nearest to the school.
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Rule 8 Children living outside the priority area on the basis of distance, with those living nearest to the school given priority.
Change to the School’s admissions arrangements
The change being proposed to the school’s oversubscription criteria for the 2027 intake is the addition of the following category to the Oversubscription Criteria:
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Rule 5 Children who, at the closing date for applications, attend the following priority primary school: Oakleaf Primary School.
Reasons for the proposal
As members of the Scholars’ Education Trust, The Hemel Hempstead School and Oakleaf Primary School are publicly committed to the same vision and values underlying their work. The two schools are within approximately 1 mile of each other and have established strong links due to their shared trust membership and their geographical proximity. Pupils and staff at the two schools work together, with children benefiting from cross phase teaching and support, as well as opportunities to use shared specialist accommodation and resources.
Oakleaf and Hemel Hempstead pupils work together in trust events such as the SET Anti-Bullying Conferences, the SET Sustainability Conference, the Trust Concert and Dance Competition. As part of the Scholars’ Education Trust’s commitment to ‘Education for a Changing World’ both schools have a focus on using educational technology to enhance pupils’ learning and both schools use the same Apple technology.
Staff from the two schools share professional development opportunities such as the staff conference, ongoing CPD and joint curriculum planning. They work together in the trust’s teaching and learning, digital strategy and People working parties. In addition, SET Central SEND and Attendance teams work across both schools. This means that both schools use the same systems and processes to support in these areas, and that central staff are able to provide high quality information about pupils transitioning between the two schools.
As a result of all these factors, Scholars’ Education Trust feel it is beneficial for pupils within these two schools to have the reassurance of continuity and stability of education, systems and opportunity, should they wish it.
Please note this is the only amendment being proposed by SET to its admission arrangements.
We are keen to hear views from the local community who are likely to be affected by the proposed changes and are consulting interested parties in accordance with the Admissions Code.
For schools, if appropriate and by whatever means you feel most suitable, please make the parents/carers of children in your school aware that this consultation is taking place.
You can view the proposed 2027-2028 admission rules in full on the school website at this link:
Proposed-Admission-Arrangements-for-Hemel-Hempstead-2027-28-1.pdf
For a paper copy of the arrangements or if you have any questions relating to this consultation, please contact the school directly by telephone – 01442 390 100 or by email – admin@hhs.herts.sch.uk.
Timeframe for consultation
SET is required to publicly consult on proposed changes to its academies’ admission arrangements for a minimum of six weeks between 1 October (at the earliest) and 31 January at the latest, in the determination year.
Accordingly, the period of formal consultation opens on 27th October 2025 and ends on 14th December 2025.
If you would like to comment on the proposed changes, please do so by midnight on Sunday 14th December in writing for the attention of The Admissions Committee either by post, to the school address, or electronically using this form Microsoft Form:
Comments will be compiled and presented to the Trust Admissions committee after 14th December for consideration. The Trust Board will determine The Hemel Hempstead School’s Admission Arrangements by 28 February 2026. A copy of the determined admission arrangements will be published on the school’s website by 15th March 2026.
dmissions arrangements for September 2024/202Prospectuses
Appealing against an admissions decision
Parents will need to set up an appeals account in order to appeal. The online portal is the same for all parents and can be found here https://schoolappeals.hertfordshire.gov.uk/home
In order to set up an account the following codes are needed: The Applicant Reference Number and The Child ID.
Hertfordshire parents can access the codes they need in order to set up an appeals account via their admissions account. They can see them on the page where they are told their allocation.
Parents who live out-of-county or who applied on paper will need to contact the HCC Customer Service Centre on 0300 123 4043 in order to obtain their registration details to gain access. These they will be sent via automated email.
In Year appeals
Appeals resulting from in year admission applications will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged
September 2025 entry
Appeals resulting from secondary transfer and under 11s applications for admission in September 2025 will be heard according to the following timetable:
- Appeals lodged after these dates will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline or 30 school days of being lodged, which ever is the later date.
- Appellants will be sent notification of their appeal hearing at least 10 clear working days in advance of the hearing.
- Appellants will be sent a copy of the school's case 7 working days in advance of the hearing.
Additional supporting information
If an appellant wishes to any supporting evidence after lodging an appeal, they will need to get that to the Appeals Team at least 7 working days before your hearing, (not counting the day of postage or the hearing date).
Please remember that any confidential medical/social evidence submitted to the Admission Authority (AA) in support of your application will not be provided to an appeal panel. If you wish to rely on this in support of your appeal you will need to submit this documentation to the Appeals Team.
If the appellant has a short document (like a doctor’s letter which was not previously available), this will be accepted up to 4 working days before the hearing. Any additional evidence received after this deadline will not be circulated and the panel may not accept any additional information taken to the hearing.
