Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School

Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School has demonstrated outstanding overall effectiveness, with remarkable performance across all key areas including the quality of education, behavior and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. The school's commitment to providing an exemplary education is evident in the high levels of care and respect among students, who actively engage in both academic and extra-curricular activities. The supportive environment fosters a culture of kindness and a strong sense of community, making the school a welcoming place for both students and visitors alike. Significant strengths include the ambitious and well-structured curriculum, which has been effectively delivered to ensure high-quality pupil work. High academic and behavioral expectations are met by students, assisted by thorough feedback from teachers. Additionally, the strong leadership and dedicated support from the Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust contribute to the school's success, ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve excellent outcomes.

Strengths

• Exemplary education provided by caring staff
• High levels of mutual respect and positivity among pupils
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum
• Thorough feedback helps pupils understand and improve their work
• Extensive range of enrichment activities for personal development
• Exceptional behavior and low levels of suspension
• Strong leadership with relentless drive for educational quality
• Commitment to supporting SEND pupils effectively

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 Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 10.0% 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, 4.6% of pupils at Nicholas Breakspear Catholic 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 Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.1% 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, 14.0% of pupils at Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.7% 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 Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School received £7,736 and spent £7,577 for each of its 1,097 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £541,000 (£494 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust, income was £7,471 and spending £7,253 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

Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is part of The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Saint Michael's Catholic High School Watford
• St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School Watford
• The Holy Family Catholic Primary School Welwyn Garden City
• St Margaret Clitherow Roman Catholic Primary School Stevenage
• Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School Stevenage
• The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School Stevenage
• Saint Claudine's Catholic School for Girls London
• The Douay Martyrs Catholic School Uxbridge
• Our Lady Catholic Primary School Hitchin
• St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School Letchworth Garden City

What is Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School last inspected by Ofsted?

Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School have?

Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School has 1,134 pupils on roll.

What age range does Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School cover?

Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 55.0, and 67% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School?

Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is at Colney Heath Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 0TT.