St Albans Girls' School

St Albans Girls' School is performing at an exceptionally high level. Inspectors found all key judgements to be outstanding, with pupils flourishing academically and personally in a warm, supportive and aspirational community. Teaching is highly expert, the curriculum is broad and ambitious, behaviour is exemplary, and pupils benefit from strong personal development, enrichment and careers guidance. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and staff and parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. The inspection was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2013, when it was judged outstanding and subsequently exempt from routine inspection. The school became part of Ambition Education Trust in September 2024. Leaders, trustees and governors demonstrate a clear, values-driven vision and meticulous attention to detail. No substantive weaknesses or areas for improvement were identified in the report. The school sets no limit on what pupils can achieve and ensures pupils, including those with SEND, are well supported to meet its high academic standards.

Strengths

• Rich, broad and ambitious curriculum across all stages, including a strong key stage 5 offer
• Specialist teachers with deep subject knowledge who inspire pupils and adapt teaching well for pupils with SEND
• Expert checking of pupils' understanding and skilful links to prior learning help embed key knowledge
• Strong prioritisation of reading, with rapid identification and high-quality support for non-fluent readers
• Exemplary pupil behaviour in lessons and around the school, underpinned by a respectful and supportive culture
• Highly nurturing environment that supports pupils' well-being and helps them thrive
• Strong personal development through enrichment, STAGS Talks, leadership roles and inclusion activities
• Excellent careers guidance that prepares pupils exceptionally well for their next steps
• Leaders, trustees and governors provide a clear, values-driven vision with meticulous attention to detail
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Staff and parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school

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 St Albans Girls' School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.6% 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, 2.0% of pupils at St Albans Girls' School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 St Albans Girls' School had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.1% 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, 13.4% of pupils at St Albans Girls' School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.6% 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 2024–25 St Albans Girls' School received £8,021 and spent £7,849 for each of its 1,428 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,202,000 (£842 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Ambition Education Trust, income was £8,105 and spending £7,965 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

St Albans Girls' School is part of Ambition Education Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Garden Fields Junior Mixed and Infant School St Albans
• Wheatfields Junior Mixed School St Albans
• Wheatfields Infants' and Nursery School St. Albans
• Sandringham School St Albans
• Alban City School St Albans
• Verulam School St Albans
• Skyswood Primary & Nursery School St Albans
• Beech Hyde Primary School and Nursery St. Albans
• The Adeyfield Academy Hemel Hempstead
• Ridgeway Academy Welwyn Garden City

What is St Albans Girls' School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Albans Girls' School is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was St Albans Girls' School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Albans Girls' School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does St Albans Girls' School have?

St Albans Girls' School has 1,423 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Albans Girls' School cover?

St Albans Girls' School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are St Albans Girls' School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 60.7, and 69% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is St Albans Girls' School?

St Albans Girls' School is at Sandridgebury Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6DB.