Townsend Church of England School

Townsend Church of England School continues to demonstrate a good overall performance, ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for its pupils. Most students report being happy at school, benefiting from good behaviour and supportive relationships. The curriculum has seen considerable improvement with new changes aimed at enhancing depth and engagement in subjects, particularly for Years 7 to 9. However, there are areas needing attention, such as ensuring that all subjects provide adequate opportunities for pupils to apply their skills and engage in meaningful discussions.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, welcomed, and valued.
• The majority of pupils exhibit very good behaviour.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and present information clearly.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support.
• There are numerous extra-curricular activities available for students.
• The school's ethos cultivates respect for all backgrounds and beliefs.

Areas for Improvement

• In some foundation subjects, planned changes to the curriculum are not yet fully implemented.
• Opportunities for pupils to apply knowledge and engage in discussion are occasionally insufficient.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Townsend Church of England School attended 88.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 32.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 16.4% of pupils at Townsend Church of England School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Townsend Church of England School had 13.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.3% of pupils at Townsend Church of England School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Townsend Church of England School received £9,201 and spent £9,539 for each of its 746 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £684,000 (£917 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in St Albans · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Townsend Church of England School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Townsend Church of England School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Townsend Church of England School last inspected by Ofsted?

Townsend Church of England School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Townsend Church of England School have?

Townsend Church of England School has 746 pupils on roll.

What age range does Townsend Church of England School cover?

Townsend Church of England School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Townsend Church of England School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.9, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Townsend Church of England School?

Townsend Church of England School is at High Oaks, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6DR.