Links Academy, St Albans
Links Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in St Albans, part of Links Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Links Academy in detail
Getting a place at Links Academy
Across Hertfordshire, 77% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 95% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Hertfordshire lodged 722 appeals against secondary school offers; 515 reached a hearing and 92 succeeded (17.9% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Links Academy are Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 55); Beaumont School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 63); Samuel Ryder Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 52.4); and Verulam School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 54.4).
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic SchoolBeaumont SchoolSamuel Ryder AcademyVerulam School
The trust
Links Academy is one of 2 schools run by Links Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
70% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (50%) and Black (10%).
In 2026, 6 pupils (60%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Albans City Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Princess Diana Drive (near), 200 metres away.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Links Academy are Oakwood Primary School (0.6 miles), Camp Primary and Nursery School (0.7 miles), Windermere Primary School (0.7 miles) and Fleetville Infant and Nursery School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Oakwood Primary SchoolCamp Primary and Nursery SchoolWindermere Primary SchoolFleetville Infant and Nursery School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from October 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2016 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
70.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Links Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Links Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Links Academy is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
25%
Available places
10 pupils
40 places
30 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - St Albans
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St Albans
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
15,222
Applications
13,456
Got 1st preference
77.5%
Got preferred school
94.9%
All secondary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
6
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
60.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
10
Total Pupils
9
Boys
1
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
0.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,406
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Links Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Links Academy
What is Links Academy's Ofsted rating?
Links Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Links Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Links Academy is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Links Academy?
Links Academy has around 10 pupils on roll. 70% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Links Academy?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Links Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Links Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Links Academy?
Links Academy is at 1 Hixberry Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 0TZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)