Priority areas – secondary and upper schools

If you live within a school's priority area, you will be considered for a place at that school before children who live outside the priority area.

Find your nearest school and priority area

Priority areas are determined by administrative parishes. Your parish will also be identified on your council tax bill.

How priority areas are used
List of secondary school priority areas

How priority areas are used

Priority areas are used by schools that use our admission rules. Some foundation schools and academies also use our rules and priority areas to prioritise applications.

Your child is not guaranteed a place at a school in your priority area but they will be considered before children living outside the priority area.

Within each priority area, children who apply to their nearest school will be considered under Rule 4. "Nearest school" in this context means their nearest Hertfordshire maintained school or academy which is:

non-faith
co-educational (accepts boys and girls)
non-partially selective (doesn't offer places based on academic ability).

List of secondary school priority areas

Priority area	Villages, towns and parishes	Secondary schools
1. Hitchin	Codicote, Hexton, Hitchin, Holwell, Ickleford, Langley, Lilley, Offley, Pirton, Preston, St Ippolyts, Wymondley.
2. Letchworth Garden City	Letchworth	Fearnhill
3. Baldock and surrounding villages	Ashwell, Baldock, Bygrave, Caldecote, Clothall, Edworth, Hinxworth, Newnham, Radwell, Rushden, Sandon, Wallington, Weston.	The Knights Templar
4. Buntingford, Puckeridge and Royston	Anstey, Ardeley, Aspenden, Barkway, Barley, Braughing, Brent Pelham, Buckland, Buntingford, Cottered, Great Munden, Hormead, Kelshall, Meesden, Nuthampstead, Reed, Royston, Standon, Therfield, Westmill, Wyddial.
5. Stevenage	Aston, Benington, Datchworth, Graveley, Great Ashby, Knebworth, Langley, Stevenage, Walkern and Wymondley.	Barnwell Marriotts The Nobel
6. Hemel Hempstead, Kings Langley, Berkhamsted, Tring, Garston, Watford, Chorleywood and Rickmansworth	Abbots Langley, Aldbury, Berkhamsted, Bovingdon, Chipperfield, Chorleywood, Croxley Green, Flaunden, Great Gaddesden, Hemel Hempstead, Kings Langley, Little Gaddesden, Maple Cross, Nash Mills, Nettleden with Potten End, Northchurch, Rickmansworth, Sarratt, Tring, Tring Rural, Watford, Wigginton.	The Astley Cooper The Hemel Hempstead Kings Langley Longdean Westfield Academy
7. Harpenden and St Albans	Ayot St Lawrence, Colney Heath, Flamstead, Harpenden, Harpenden Rural, Kimpton, King’s Walden, London Colney, Markyate, Redbourn, Sandridge, St Michael, St Pauls Walden, St Stephen, St Albans, Shenley, Wheathampstead.	Beaumont Katherine Warington School Roundwood Park Samuel Ryder Academy Sir John Lawes
8. Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Potters Bar and Brookmans Park	Ayot St Peter, Codicote, Essendon, Hatfield, North Mymms, Potters Bar, South Mimms-Ridge, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn, Woolmer Green.	Monks Walk Onslow St Audreys Ridgeway Academy Stanborough
9. Ware and Hertford	Bayford, Bengeo Rural, Bramfield, Brickendon Liberty, Great Amwell, Hertford, Hertford Heath, Hertingfordbury, Hunsdon, Little Berkhamsted, Little Munden, Sacombe, Stanstead St Margarets, Stapleford, Tewin, Thundridge, Ware, Wareside, Watton-at-Stone, Widford.
10. Bishop's Stortford and Sawbridgeworth	Albury, Birchanger, Bishop’s Stortford, Eastwick, Elsenham, Furneux Pelham, Gilston, Great Hallingbury, High Wych, Little Hadham, Little Hallingbury, Much Hadham, Sawbridgeworth, Sheering, Stocking Pelham, Thorley.
11. Borehamwood, Bushey and Watford Rural	Aldenham, Bushey, Elstree, Borehamwood, Watford Rural.
12. Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Turnford and Cheshunt	Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Hoddesdon, Nazeing, Northaw & Cuffley, Stanstead Abbotts, Waltham Cross.	Robert Barclay Haileybury Turnford

Find a school's admission rules

Map of priority areas

(press map to enlarge)

Single sex schools – priority areas

We allocate places on behalf of 7 single sex schools in Hertfordshire. All are academies and are responsible for their own admissions. All use single sex priority areas.

Single sex girls' schools – priority areas


Girls' school	Villages, towns and parishes
Hitchin Girls' School	Codicote, Graveley, Hexton, Hitchin, Holwell, Ickleford, King’s Walden, Knebworth, Langley, Letchworth, Lilley, Offley, Pirton, Preston, St Ippolyts, St Pauls Walden, Weston, Wymondley.
St Albans Girls' School	Aldenham, Colney Heath, Harpenden, Kimpton, London Colney, Redbourn, Sandridge, Shenley, St Albans, St Michael, St Stephen, Wheathampstead.
Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School	Codicote, Hatfield, Knebworth, North Mymms, Potters Bar, Welwyn, Welwyn Garden City, Woolmer Green.
Presdales School	Bayford, Bengeo Rural, Bramfield, Brickendon Liberty, Datchworth, Essendon, Great Amwell, Great Munden, Hertford, Hertford Heath, Hertingfordbury, Hunsdon, Little Berkhamsted, Little Munden, Much Hadham, Sacombe, Stanstead Abbotts, Stanstead St Margarets, Stapleford, Tewin, Thundridge, Ware, Wareside, Watton-at-Stone, Widford.

Find a school's admission rules

Single sex boys' schools – priority areas


Boys' school	Villages, towns and parishes
Hitchin Boys' School	Codicote, Graveley, Hexton, Hitchin, Holwell, Ickleford, King’s Walden, Knebworth, Langley, Letchworth, Lilley, Offley, Pirton, Preston, St Ippolyts, St Pauls Walden, Weston, Wymondley.
Verulam School	Aldenham, Colney Heath, Harpenden, Hatfield, Kimpton, London Colney, Redbourn, Sandridge, Shenley, St. Albans, St Michael, St Stephen, Wheathampstead.
Richard Hale School	Bayford, Bengeo Rural, Bramfield, Brickendon Liberty, Datchworth, Essendon, Great Amwell, Great Munden, Hertford, Hertford Heath, Hertingfordbury, Hunsdon, Little Berkhamsted, Little Munden, Sacombe, Stanstead Abbotts, Stanstead St Margarets, Stapleford, Tewin, Thundridge, Ware, Wareside, Watton-at-Stone, Welwyn, Widford, Woolmer Green.

Find a school's admission rules

Priority areas – secondary and upper schools

How priority areas are used

List of secondary school priority areas

Map of priority areas

Single sex schools – priority areas

Single sex girls' schools – priority areas

Single sex boys' schools – priority areas

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