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Headteacher's Welcome

Hertswood Academy is a thriving and happy learning-focused community.

Wanda Gill, HeadteacherWe are delighted to welcome you to Hertswood Academy, a vibrant and ambitious school where we believe every student is capable of extraordinary achievement. 

We provide an engaging learning environment with an innovative curriculum, state of the art technology, quality personalised care and support, and a broad enrichment programme for all students. Our stimulating range of extra-curricular activities supports wider learning and we develop students’ creativity and independence so that they are able to flourish in the rapidly changing world in which we live. We integrate the teaching of AI skills into our curriculum designed to enable our community to ask the right questions so that they receive the most accurate answers from AI models, such as Google Gemini and Chat GPT.

We are more than just a place of learning; we are a dedicated community committed to ensuring that every young person leaves with the qualifications, skills, and confidence they need to thrive in the modern world. Our teachers are dedicated to the local community with many of them having worked at the Academy for over 10 years or having been students here themselves. 

Our theatre and state-of-the-art sports facilities are a testament to the creative and active commitment we have to nurture fully rounded individuals. We have a clear expectation for our students to work hard, behave well, and develop as confident individuals, responsible citizens, and successful 21st century independent learners.

We are incredibly proud of our students' achievements and the positive, focused atmosphere they create. We invite you to explore our website, visit us for an open event, and witness first-hand the energy and enthusiasm that defines Hertswood Academy.

Wanda Gill, Headteacher

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Learn more about our most recent Ofsted inspection here.

Read an introduction from our Executive Headteacher here.

Achieve Excellence

Latest Tweets

📰📸🎉 Enjoy our Headteacher's wrap-up of news, events and pictures from a fantastic Spring Term at  on our website at  hertswoodacademy.org/121/new…
@ HertswoodUK - Mar 27, 2026
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🎞️✨ "One quiet act of courage changed history. This dance honours Rosa Parks’ refusal to move, turning stillness into strength." 💖 Enjoy  's Dance Live! 2026 video. youtu.be/C3eBIES-usE
@ HertswoodUK - Mar 26, 2026
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💎🧁 Mrs Gill hosted a special tea party for  's first Diamond Award winners of the year! These six students have already earned over 2,000 House Points. Joined by school dog Ada 🐶, they enjoyed an array of well-deserved treats.
@ HertswoodUK - Mar 26, 2026
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✨ Mr Gillett hosted a Year 7 assembly at  on achieving excellence through hard work, sharing the story of an 'Expert in a Year' table tennis player. Students even took on him and Miss Elvins in a mini-match to win Amazon vouchers! 🏓
@ HertswoodUK - Mar 25, 2026
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Well done to the Year 7 and 8 Basketball squads who were in action this evening against . Some brilliant play across two competitive games to bring our seasons to a close👏🏼🏀 pic.twitter.com/1hzDdj0cAX
@ HertswoodUK - Mar 24, 2026
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✨  dancers were incredible at Dance Live! 2026 at The Swan Theatre. They performed a moving piece about the courage of Rosa Parks, with great sensitivity and teamwork. We are so proud of their dedication and the support they showed other schools. 🏆
@ HertswoodUK - Mar 23, 2026
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✨ Good luck to our KS3 students performing in Dance Live! today. After our debut entry last year, students and staff were eager for their second performance! 🤩🎶 Take a look at their journey video, and look forward to the full performance video soon! youtube.com/watch?v=n3kkaodh…
@ HertswoodUK - Mar 18, 2026
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🩺 Inspiring talks for our aspiring healthcare professionals! Huge thanks to Max Yip from OpSurg and alumna Neşe Beyzade for sharing their journeys into medicine and nursing with our Year 12 and 13 students. Great advice for the next generation of  medics! 🏥✨
@ HertswoodUK - Mar 10, 2026
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📸 More from World Book Day 2026 at  ! A* for effort. 📚🤩
@ HertswoodUK - Mar 06, 2026
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📚 Yesterday  celebrated World Book Day 2026 in style! From Matilda to Harry Potter, students and staff showcased incredible costumes to celebrate a love of reading. Well done to our staff winner, Maleficent! Year 7 winners will be announced next Wednesday. 📖✨
@ HertswoodUK - Mar 06, 2026
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🫀🔬 Saffron Green Primary visited  for a heart dissection workshop last week. As part of our transition offer, Year 6 students explored the four chambers and the aorta in our labs. We were impressed by their curiosity and engagement during this hands-on session!
@ HertswoodUK - Feb 26, 2026
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💡 Year 8 have designed and manufactured impressive lamps in Product Design. From studying iconic movements like Pop Art to using CAD/CAM and vacuum forming, students showed great skill. Mrs Robertson is very proud of these high quality  outcomes! 🛠️✨
@ HertswoodUK - Feb 26, 2026
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✨ After a successful bid to the DfE's ‘Connect the Classroom’ programme,  has invested £150k+ into upgraded wireless, installed over the half-term. This continues our commitment to top-tier technology to support teaching and learning for our students and staff. 💻
@ HertswoodUK - Feb 26, 2026
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🎭🪧 Year 8 Drama students at  have mastered the art of Brechtian theatre! Focusing on placards and clear messaging, they created powerful performances on topics like internet safety. Well done to our performers who earned House points for their creative work.
@ HertswoodUK - Feb 25, 2026
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🕯️ Year 7  students were joined by Debra Barnes from  for a moving talk on her family’s Holocaust testimony. The visit brought their literacy studies of Morris Gleitzman's 'Once' to life, teaching vital lessons on the dangers of hatred. 🙏
@ HertswoodUK - Feb 24, 2026
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🚀 Year 7 enjoyed an inspiring assembly with Executive Headteacher Mr Gillett this term, exploring the future of technology. He also celebrated our subject award winners for their fantastic effort last term. Great to see  students continuing to 'Aim High'! 🎓
@ HertswoodUK - Feb 13, 2026
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🥁🎁 A huge thank you to Elstree resident Duncan Fullerton for the generous donation of a complete drum kit to our Music Department! The kit is already being put to great use by  students during our after-school Open Access practice sessions.
@ HertswoodUK - Feb 11, 2026
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🎭 30 Year 9s enjoyed a memorable trip to 'Into the Woods' at the Bridge Theatre last week. From stunning costumes to inspiring sets, our students were captivated by an outstanding live musical experience. They represented  with pride and left feeling truly impacted. 🎶
@ HertswoodUK - Feb 06, 2026
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🏆 Twelve Year 7 students from  visited Wodson Park for a multi-sport event to build confidence and teamwork. They met an England Wallball player and tried Quidditch and Blazepods, finishing with a brilliant bronze medal! Well done to the great team of students. 🥉✨
@ HertswoodUK - Feb 02, 2026
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🏆 Twelve Year 7 students from  visited Wodson Park for a multi-sport event to build confidence and teamwork. They met an England Wallball player and tried Quidditch and Blazepods, finishing with a brilliant bronze medal! Well done to the great team of students. 🥉✨
@ HertswoodUK - Jan 30, 2026
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