All-throughState · Academy sponsor led

Samuel Ryder Academy

Drakes Drive, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 5AR ·

Report card: strong areas· 2026

At a glance

A state all-through academy for ages 4–19 in St Albans. Ofsted report card (April 2026): strong areas. GCSE results are well above the England average (Attainment 8: 56.5 vs 46.1, 2024/25). Oversubscribed: 203 families put it first for 200 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages: 4–19
Pupils: 1,577
Gender: Mixed
Sixth form: Yes
Admissions: Non-selective
Local authority: Hertfordshire
Academy trust: SCHOLARS' EDUCATION TRUST
Headteacher: Mr Kyle Barry
Opened: Sept 2012

School website 01727859382 Explore the area

Inspection

Ofsted report card (renewed framework)

Read reports

Inspected 21 Apr 2026Published 9 Jul 2026

SafeguardingMet
InclusionStrong standard
Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
AchievementExpected standard
Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
Personal development and well-beingStrong standard
Early yearsStrong standard
Post-16 provisionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceStrong standard

Report cards grade each area separately on a five-point scale, from Urgent improvement to Exceptional. There is no single overall grade, and results are not directly comparable with earlier grades such as “Good”.

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 185 pupils

Attainment 8

56.5

England 46.1

Grade 5+ Eng & maths

69.7%

England 45.4%

Grade 4+ Eng & maths

81.6%

England 64.8%

Progress 8

+0.35

2023/24 · CI 0.15 to 0.55

This school

56.5

Hertfordshire

50.6

England

46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

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Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made

140

1st preferences

140

All applications

670

1st prefs per place

1.00

Fewer first choices than places

108 of 140 first-preference applicants were offered a place (77%).

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils

1,577

Capacity

1,520

104% full

Girls / boys

46/54

Mixed

Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)19%
English as an additional language14.5%
SEN support12.3%
Education, Health and Care plan1.8%
The black tick shows the median for state-funded all-through schools in England.