Dear Applicant

I am delighted to introduce you to Croxley Danes School and would like to thank you for your interest in playing an important role in our future.

There are a number of reasons why this is an extremely exciting time to join Croxley Danes School:

We received our first Ofsted inspection in January 2022 and were judged to be ‘good’ in every category. Our Ofsted report was very positive and can be can be found here.

We received our first set of GCSE results in August 2022. The validated Progress 8 score for a comprehensive cohort was +0.43 and the students’ attainment surpassed both National and Hertfordshire averages – for example 82% of students attained grades 9-4 in English and Maths compared to 2019 figures of 65% nationally and 73% in Hertfordshire. Our validated 2023 GCSE results were just as strong, with a Progress 8 score of +0.35.

We opened our Sixth Form in September 2022 with 95 students in the first cohort, studying 22 A-level courses (including Music), one BTEC and one Level 3 course in Food Science and Nutrition. In September 2023 we have increased the number of students recruited to Year 12 to 115. Eventually we aim to have 300 students in the Sixth Form across Year 12 and 13.

In terms of facilities, in September 2020, the school opened its brand-new permanent accommodation at Baldwins Lane in Croxley Green, including a building with a capacity for over 1200 students. The permanent site for the school comprises 12.3 hectares. This far surpasses the need for a six-form entry school, therefore the space afforded to the students on site is, compared to other local schools, second to none. Furthermore, the permanent school building has been meticulously designed to ensure both students and staff experience a first-class learning environment. More details about (and images of) the permanent site can be found here.

The Danes Educational Trust currently comprises twelve schools, including our founding school, St Clement Danes. Dr Josephine Valentine OBE is the CEO of the Danes Educational Trust. She was Headteacher of St Clement Danes School for 20 years. She is a National Leader in Education, a DfE Advisor and has oversight of all twelve schools. If appointed, you will benefit from working within an established, outstanding Trust whilst also contributing to the education of the first cohorts of students in a new school at an exciting stage in its development. More information about the Trust can be found here.

We are heavily over-subscribed - for secondary transfer in September 2023 we received 996 applications for 180 places, with 218 parents choosing us as the first choice for their child. We currently have 1100 students across Years 7-13 who are aspirational, confident and have excellent attitudes to learning. They are extremely proud of being the first cohorts of students in our school and are excited about the future. Staff overwhelmingly report that they are delightful to teach and fun to have in the classroom. Their behaviour is excellent.

I want Croxley Danes School to be outstanding and a strong part of the local community. If you share our commitment to educational excellence, we want to hear from you.

Yours sincerely 

MR S THOMPSON

Headteacher