What ages does The Purcell School teach?

The Purcell School teaches children aged 8 to 19. It is an independent school in Hertfordshire.

Who is the headmaster of The Purcell School?

The headmaster of The Purcell School is Mr Paul Bambrough, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.

Has The Purcell School been inspected?

Ofsted has not inspected The Purcell School under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.

How many pupils are at The Purcell School?

The Purcell School has 192 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 8 to 19.

Is The Purcell School full?

The Purcell School has capacity for 220 pupils and 192 on roll (87%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.

Is The Purcell School a faith school?

No. The Purcell School has no designated religious character.

How have The Purcell School's results changed over recent years?

Its Attainment 8 score was 36.6 in 2022/23 and 47.7 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.

What are The Purcell School's exam results?

Where the Department for Education has published them, The Purcell School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.

The Purcell School

Aldenham Road, Bushey, WD23 2TS

Phase: Independent schools
School type: Other independent school
Ages: 8 to 19
Gender: Mixed
Religious character: None
Headmaster: Mr Paul Bambrough
Boarding: Boarding school
Constituency: Watford
Setting: Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Capacity: 220
Pupils on roll: 192
URN: 102256
Local authority: Hertfordshire
Website: School website
Telephone: 01923331100

About this school

The Purcell School is an independent school in Hertfordshire. It teaches children aged 8 to 19 and has 192 pupils on roll.

Ofsted has not yet inspected The Purcell School under its current framework. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.

Ofsted judgement

The Purcell School has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in October 1962, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.

Exam results

Key stage 4 (GCSEs)

Measure	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25
Pupils at the end of key stage 4	22	33	35
Attainment 8 score	36.6	40.2	47.7
Progress 8 score	-	-	-
Grade 5 or above in English and maths	0%	45.5%	54.3%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths	0%	54.5%	82.9%
Entered the English Baccalaureate	0%	0%	0%
English Baccalaureate average point score	3.8	3.7	4.4

Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.

Trends over time

How The Purcell School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.

Key stage 4: Attainment 8

Year	This school	Hertfordshire average	England average
2022/23	36.6	44.6	39.8
2023/24	40.2	44.2	39.5
2024/25	47.7	44.1	39

Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.

Pupils on roll

Year	This school
2022/23	185
2023/24	194
2024/25	195

School census, spring count each academic year.

School context

From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.

Free school meals (last 6 years): 0%
Pupils with an EHC plan: 2
Pupils on SEN support: 27

Location

Nearby schools

Gurukula - The Hare Krishna Primary School
Independent schools · Hertfordshire

0.5 miles
Longwood School
Independent schools · Bushey

0.5 miles
Falconer School
Special schools · Bushey

0.9 miles
Meadow Wood School
Special schools · Bushey

1.1 miles
Nisai Virtual Academy Ltd
Other types · Watford

1.3 miles

Common questions

What ages does The Purcell School teach?: The Purcell School teaches children aged 8 to 19. It is an independent school in Hertfordshire.
Who is the headmaster of The Purcell School?: The headmaster of The Purcell School is Mr Paul Bambrough, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
Has The Purcell School been inspected?: Ofsted has not inspected The Purcell School under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
How many pupils are at The Purcell School?: The Purcell School has 192 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 8 to 19.
Is The Purcell School full?: The Purcell School has capacity for 220 pupils and 192 on roll (87%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
Is The Purcell School a faith school?: No. The Purcell School has no designated religious character.
How have The Purcell School's results changed over recent years?: Its Attainment 8 score was 36.6 in 2022/23 and 47.7 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
What are The Purcell School's exam results?: Where the Department for Education has published them, The Purcell School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.

School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 24 July 2026.