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Description
About Our School
Our vision as a school is to provide ‘Excellence for all’ in every aspect of our provision and is underpinned by high expectations and our Monk’s Character Habits. This combined with a continued focus on ensuring that we work effectively together as a school community means that our young people leave Monk’s Walk with a strong sense of belonging and the skills and qualities needed to succeed in life.
The wellbeing of every member of our school community is of utmost importance, and we work hard to ensure that staff are well supported, that we take every opportunity to make workload manageable and that ultimately people enjoy coming to work each day.
Students benefit from a broad curriculum which promotes and celebrates the arts as well as ensuring excellent outcomes in STEM areas. We have a full orchestra (as well as other musical groups), thriving Art, Music, PE and Sport and an outstanding Drama department. Members of other departments involve themselves in extra-curricular activities in Music, Sport and Drama, supporting the many concerts and shows that we put on each year.
The diverse range of destination and career pathways is testament to the experience we provide for our students. If you visit the school take the time to have a look at our destinations board in our reception Our teaching and learning approach is firmly evidence informed.
Staff engage with current research and collaborative professional development to ensure classroom practice continually improves. This research led culture enables teachers to refine their craft and deliver consistently high quality learning for every student. To further support staff development, we subscribe to the National College CPD hub. We are committed to supporting all staff with career progression aspirations and provide in house opportunities such as our aspiring middle leader programme, middle leadership coaching and an associate assistant headteacher programme. Staff are also encouraged to engage with external providers offering training and qualifications such as NPQs and subject specific associations.
Our pastoral system is an integral part of daily school life with Form tutors and Heads of Years working together to support the social, personal and academic development of all our students. The House system is used to bring students from different year groups together, providing a range of all ability competitions and activities for mixed age groups.
Our parents are extremely supportive and parental confidence in the school is high; there were 625 applications for 236 places in Year 7 for September 2026, with 245 of those as first preference. Each year we hear appeals for students wishing to join the school.
Behaviour in lessons and around school is very good and our students want to learn. Students understand the behaviour system and appreciate that staff try to apply it consistently and fairly.
The school is ideally located with good transport links, and it is easy to get here by road or rail with direct rail links to London in less than 30 minutes. We’re situated in a greenbelt area, and students benefit from being able to access large areas of outdoor space. We have excellent outdoor sports facilities including a floodlit astroturf, an indoor swimming pool and the DfE have just agreed funding for a new sports hall for the school which will open in September 2027.
Excellent Progress and Outcomes
GCSE exam results in 2025 were very good. 52% of students gained the strong basics (grade 5+ in both English and Maths) and 72% standard basics (grade 4+ in English and Maths). Our attainment 8 was 50.7. All well above national.
Students of all abilities did better than would have been expected, given their starting points. Disadvantaged students made the progress that would have been expected given their starting points - unlike in most other schools in Hertfordshire where it is often well below.
In terms of progress, disadvantaged and SEND students do better in the school than they do nationally and we pride ourselves on the fact that Monk’s Walk is an inclusive school.
The school has about 259 in the sixth form and this is the largest sixth form the school has ever had. We are also a member of a consortium with four other schools which provides a wide range of opportunities for students.
Monk’s Walk has the largest sixth form of the five schools and currently we have 82 guest students in Year 12 and 61 in Year 13.
A Level results in 2025 were also very good, with average point score per academic grade equivalent to a B. In 2025, almost all students who applied made it to their first or second choice university, high quality apprenticeship or employment.
Staff Benefits
There is a strong commitment to staff wellbeing and mental health at Monk's Walk School. Initiatives and wellbeing INSET days are arranged throughout the academic year to support staff wellbeing.
Monk's Walk Staff have access to a Free confidential 24 hour Employee Assistance Program which offers support on a range of issues including bereavement and impartial financial and legal advice.
There is a generous staff pension scheme for both Teachers and Support Staff and a relocation scheme for Teachers moving into the area to take up a post. Further details are available on the School's website.
We also offer free annual flu vaccinations, onsite parking, bike to work and tech salary sacrifice schemes.
What people say about us
"Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel leaders consider their workload. They are supportive of leaders and trustees and feel part of a community where their views are valued and acted on."
-Ofsted 2023
"Pupils enjoy attending school. They learn in an environment where positive relationships help everyone flourish. Pupils work hard to achieve the high expectations their teachers have for them. Pupils appreciate that they are supported to do their best and their successes are celebrated."
- Ofsted 2023
"The school has designed an aspirational curriculum that identifies what pupils should know and be able to do at defined moments in time. Subject specialists have broken this down into small, manageable steps."
- Ofsted 2023
"Training ensures that teachers understand how to deliver the curriculum as planned."
- Ofsted 2023
" The school has high ambitions for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teaching is planned to take account of pupils' needs. Consequently, pupils with SEND access the same curriculum and successfully progress alongside their peers."
- Ofsted 2023
"Pupils are well behaved, polite and respectful. Their pride in their school is evident. They warmly welcome visitors and show off their and others' successes. Pupils understand and celebrate difference. They know that difference is never a reason to be unkind."
-Ofsted 2023