Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School is a good school across all inspected areas, with no overall effectiveness grade under current arrangements. This was its first routine section 5 inspection and followed a period of significant change: the school joined All Saints Catholic Academy Trust in 2023, a new executive headteacher took up post in September 2024, and a recent senior leadership team has been established. Pupils are proud of their school, behave well and benefit from warm relationships, a calm learning culture and an extensive outdoor environment. The school has high expectations and an established culture of ambition, and leaders have refined the curriculum in most subjects. Reading is a clear strength, with daily phonics and focused support helping most pupils become fluent by the end of Year 2. The school identifies and meets SEND appropriately, including through its Acorns provision for pupils with complex needs. Personal development is extensive, and pupils learn about values, religions, difference and preparation for later life. Staff training is prioritised, and governors and trustees are well informed and provide robust support and challenge. Safeguarding is effective. Two areas need further work. In a small number of subjects, curriculum mapping is not yet complete, so key knowledge is less precise and pupils do not build learning as securely. In addition, assessment checks are not consistently effective: some gaps in pupils’ understanding are missed, and some pupils who are ready for more complex work are not stretched. Leaders and the trust should address these so that pupils learn equally well across the curriculum.

Strengths

• Warm, respectful relationships and a strong caring community
• Pupils behave well and classrooms are calm, purposeful spaces
• Extensive outdoor environment supports physical activity and play
• High expectations and a culture of ambition for all pupils
• Most curriculum subjects are well sequenced with clear vocabulary
• Reading is a high priority, with effective phonics and focused support
• SEND provision is appropriate, including bespoke Acorns provision
• Personal development is extensive, promoting values and respect for difference
• Staff training is prioritised and governance provides robust support and challenge
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment checks are sometimes not effective enough to identify pupils’ gaps in understanding
• Some pupils who are ready for more complex work are not consistently stretched
• Curriculum mapping is incomplete in a small number of subjects, so key knowledge is less precise and learning builds less securely

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 Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 1.0% of pupils at Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy had 22.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 14.2% of pupils at Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy received £8,330 and spent £8,399 for each of its 205 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £77,000 (£375 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of All Saints Catholic Academy Trust, income was £8,047 and spending £8,105 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 Hemel Hempstead · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is part of All Saints Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• St Cuthbert Mayne Voluntary Catholic Junior Academy Hemel Hempstead
• St Rose's Catholic Infant School Hemel Hempstead
• John F Kennedy Catholic School Hemel Hempstead
• Divine Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School Abbots Langley
• Holy Rood Catholic Primary School Watford
• St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & Nursery St Albans
• St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Berkhamsted
• St Dominic Catholic Primary School Harpenden
• St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy St Albans
• Saint Bernadette Voluntary Catholic Primary Academy St Albans

What is Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have?

Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has 204 pupils on roll.

What age range does Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy cover?

Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is at Acorn Road, Bennetts End, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP3 8DW.