Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School, St Albans

In its own words: "We believe that each individual is a unique creation of God and that our role is to nurture and encourage every child's talents and gifts to their full potential. As Catholics we believe in the redeeming power of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. Our school motto is 'Per Tuas Semitas' , which means, 'In Thy Ways' ."

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are inspired by our patron, born locally, who rose from his humble personal context to serve as Pope Adrian IV. May he inspire us all to strive for greatness, regardless of our background or personal challenges."

The school day runs from 8:25am to 3:10pm, 32.5 hours a week.

In 2026, pupils at Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 55, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.6 in Hertfordshire and 47 across England.

67% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 53% in Hertfordshire and 47% in England.

That is down from 56.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.75: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 48.3, against 55.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Business Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 194 families put Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School as their first choice and 623 named it as one of their preferences, for 170 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 38 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School are Beaumont School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 63); Samuel Ryder Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.4); Verulam School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 54.4); and Loreto College (1.8 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 56.2).

Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is one of 15 schools run by The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 54.5 in 2024/25.

Of the 174 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 96% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 28% to a further education college and 1% to an apprenticeship.

Of the 67 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 55% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 21% into work. 18% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

11.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 31.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (41%), Black (15%) and Mixed (11%).

The nearest railway station is St Albans City Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Nicholas Breakspear School Grounds (in), 70 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School issued 69 suspensions, 6.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School are Oakwood Primary School (0.8 miles), Windermere Primary School (0.9 miles), Camp Primary and Nursery School (0.9 miles) and Fleetville Infant and Nursery School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.