Introduction

A public meeting, organised by Hertsmere Borough Council and chaired by Philip Nowlan of The Bushey Forum, was held on 18 March 2021 via Zoom. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss plans for the Bushey Country Club site and Bushey residents were presented with a suggested plan for the Country Club site going forward.

During the meeting it was announced that Hertfordshire County Council have earmarked a large section of this land as the potential site for a new 1900 student secondary school. This idea is not one Bushey residents considered a priority during the consultation process.  Many were shocked and angry at this idea and wondered why it has been proposed.  The obvious objections were also raised, the loss of the green space to the school, the negative affect on traffic, etc.

Summary

After the meeting we, at The Bushey Forum, decided under the Freedom of Information Act to delve more into the facts that would warrant another secondary school being built.

Carole Elam (Vice-Chair) and Michele Pannaman (Treasurer/Membership) have worked on obtaining the relevant information and producing this document.

Of the 4015 students in the 3 public secondary schools in Bushey: Queens’, Bushey Meads and The Grange Academy only 27.05% (1086) are from WD23.  The other students are from 23 different postcodes from as far north as AL1 in St Albans and as far south as HA1 in Sudbury.   Watford provides 55.14% (2214), Harrow, Stanmore, Ruislip, and other HA postcode send 6.25% (251) and between Borehamwood, Radlett, St Albans Potters Bar, and others not listed make up the rest, 11.56%(464).

1085 students in Bushey schools are from Bushey.  515 students attend high schools outside Bushey of which 151 of those are lower and upper 6th form students.

We have included here the full set of information we received from Hertfordshire County Council.  We requested this information so that we could share it with the residents of Bushey so that we are all better informed and can make informed arguments when necessary.

We requested the following information from Hertfordshire County Council:

  • How many Bushey children in the WD23 catchment area attend the current secondary schools?
  • The catchment area for each school
  • How many children from outside the area, e.g., Harrow, Stanmore, Watford, Radlett, St. Albans, etc. attend the Bushey secondary schools?
  • How many children from the Bushey WD23 area attend schools outside of Bushey?

Below is the information we received:

Total Number of Pupils in Each School
Source:Spring 2020 School Census

SPR/2021   Pupil Count
9194036 The Grange Academy 1080
9195408 Bushey Meads School 1244
9195410 Queens’ School 1691

The catchment area for each school

The three schools are their own admitting authority. This information can be found by searching the schools on our School Directory at https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/schools-directory or on each school’s individual website. For this reason, the Council considers that the information in question in exempt from disclosure under section 21(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, relating to information accessible by other means.

Queens’ School has many criteria, but this is included as Rule 5:

Children whose permanent residence is located within postcodes WD3-7, WD17-19, WD23-25, AL2 (south

of M25), HA6, HA5 3**, HA5 4**, HA3 6**, HA7 3**, HA7 4**

Percentage of Pupils by School & Home Outward Postcode
Source:Spring 2020 School Census

SPR/2021     Area 9194036 9195408 9195410
Post Code   The Grange Academy Bushey Meads School Queens’ School
AL1 St Albans Central St Albans to Marshalswick   0.16% 0.12%
AL2 St Albans Bricket Wood, Chiswell Green, Frogmore, London Colney & Park Street 0.28% 0.16% 0.35%
AL3 St Albans Markyate, Flamstead & Redbourn      
AL4 St Albans Colney Heath, Sandridge &Wheathampstead     0.06%
EN6 Potters Bar Cuffley, Northaw, Ridge & South Mimms 0.09% 0.08% 0.06%
HA1 Harrow Central Harrow to Sudbury Hill 0.19% 1.05%  
HA2 Harrow North Harrow, Harrow on the Hill to South Harrow 1.69%    
HA3 Harrow Belmont, Wealdstone, Kenton, Harrow Weald, Preston Road 0.28% 5.63% 1.06%
HA4 Ruislip Very large area, almost up to RAF Northolt and Rayners Lane 0.09% 0.08%  
HA5 Harrow Hatch End and Pinner   0.96% 0.53%
HA6 Harrow Northwood and Moor Park almost toHarefield   0.24% 0.89%
HA7 Harrow Very large area inc. all of Stanmore 1.30% 3.70% 1.36%
WD17 Watford Central Watford to Hunton Bridge 5.56% 2.89% 6.09%
WD18 Watford Central Watford, West Watford, Holywell to Croxley Moor 9.44% 2.81% 4.08%
WD19 Watford Watford Heath, Carpenders Park, South Oxhey 37.59% 16.00% 12.42%
WD23 Watford Bushey Heath, Bushey up to M1 Junction with A41 12.96% 35.13% 30.10%
WD24 Watford North Watford, Tudor Estate, Courtlands Estate 19.72% 8.28% 16.38%
WD25 Watford Aldenham, Garston, Leavesden, Letchmore Heath 6.48% 6.43% 11.35%
WD3 Watford Batchwood, Chenies, Chorleywood, Croxley Green, Heronsgate, Loudwater, Maple Cross, Sarratt 0.56% 0.32% 0.24%
WD4 Watford Chipperfield, Hunton Bridge, Kings Langley   0.16% 0.41%
WD5 Watford Abbots Langley, Bedmond 0.19% 0.48% 1.66%
WD6 Watford Borehamwood, Elstree 3.61% 6.11% 8.81%
WD7 Watford  Radlett,  Shenley 0.56% 1.69% 2.31%
Other   1.11% 5.95% 1.71%
    100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

Number of children living in Bushey WD23 area who attend schools outside of WD23.

Source: Spring 2021 School Census

Academic Year Number of Pupils living within WD23 Postcode attending schools outside of WD23
R 31
1 32
2 33
3 43
4 29
5 46
6 29
7 69
8 68
9 68
10 76
11 81
12 75
13 76
Grand Total 756