The Priory School
Foundation secondary school in Hitchin (Hertfordshire).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
We are an oversubscribed 11-18 co-educational Foundation School with 1,250 students on roll. The school is part of the Post 16 Hitchin consortium with nearly 800 students. The school is situated in the greenbelt on a 27-acre site with ample parking. The market town of Hitchin is a highly sought-after destination with excellent local amenities and transport links.
Central London and Cambridge are all within 30 minutes' travel by rail and our nearest airport is 20 minutes by road. At The Priory School we aim to embed our core values of Responsibility, Respect and Resilience by delivering outstanding learning opportunities and building meaningful relationships with our stakeholders.
In our last Ofsted inspection the school was praised for creating 'an inclusive school where pupils, including students in the 6 th form are supported to be successful' . We have created a learning environment that raises students' aspirations and promotes academic achievement where p upils and students are polite and friendly and engage with adults well'.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
4 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Duke of Edinburgh
- Football
- Gardening
- Stem
Awards
2 awardsiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Duke of EdinburghPersonal development
- Stonewall School ChampionLGBT+ inclusion
Key facts
- URN
- 117499
- Type
- Foundation school
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Sixth form
- Has a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Constituency
- Hitchin
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Governing body (13 current, 6 former)
Maintained school governing body.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gillian Carpenter | Chair of Governors | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr David McIntosh Former | Chair of Governors | Appointed by GB/board | since 2023 · term ended 2026 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Ben Turner | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Bob Harris | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Headteacher Matt Blayney | Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2025 |
| Mr Kieran Murphy | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Amanda King | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Helen Davies | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| David Miles | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Gillian Carpenter | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Dr Scott Barclay | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Dr Donna Brown | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Kirsty Turner | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Miss Rachael Buchanan | Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Diane Morrad Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Hugh Chatfield Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Leise Cooper Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Mark Pike Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2023 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Rowena Crabtree Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record