Verulam SchoolSamuel Ryder Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in St Albans.
Summary of the comparison
This page compares Verulam School and Samuel Ryder Academy in St Albans.
Verulam School scores 65 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Samuel Ryder Academy scores 67 out of 100 (grade C, average). Samuel Ryder Academy is ahead on our composite score.
Verulam School was judged Good and Samuel Ryder Academy was judged strong.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 52.5 for Verulam School and 56.5 for Samuel Ryder Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Verulam School (53.0 in 2021-22, 52.5 in 2024-25) and has risen at Samuel Ryder Academy (52.7 in 2021-22, 56.5 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | St AlbansVerulam School | St AlbansSamuel Ryder Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C65/100 | C67/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 37th of 81 in Hertfordshire | 31st of 81 in Hertfordshire Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | All-through | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 4-19 | |
| Gender | Boys | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 984 | 1,577 | |
| Capacity | 1,135 | 1,520 | |
| Location | St Albans, AL1 4PR | St Albans, AL1 5AR | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 52.5 | 56.5 Stronger figure | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 55.3% | 69.7% Stronger figure | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 73.0% | 81.6% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 40.1% Stronger figure | 40.0% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.71 | 4.96 Stronger figure | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 152 | 185 | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | Not reported | 80.0% | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | Not reported | 20.0% | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | Not reported | 110.0 | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | Not reported | 110.0 | 105.0 |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 99 | 71 | |
| A-level average points | 32.2 | 35.4 Stronger figure | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C+ | B- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 33.2 | 35.6 Stronger figure | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 15.4% Stronger figure | 9.8% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 984 | 1,577 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 15.1% | 19.0% | |
| English as an additional language | 17.9% | 14.5% | |
| SEN support | 15.8% | 12.3% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.4% | 1.8% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.4% | 6.9% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 21.2% Stronger figure | 21.2% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
A-level average points
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Verulam School
Samuel Ryder Academy
Full profiles: Verulam School · Samuel Ryder Academy