Verulam SchoolThe Marlborough Science Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in St Albans.
Summary of the comparison
Verulam School and The Marlborough Science Academy are secondary schools in St Albans.
Verulam School scores 65 out of 100 (grade C, average) and The Marlborough Science Academy scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Verulam School is ahead on our composite score.
Verulam School was judged Good and The Marlborough Science Academy was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 54.4 for Verulam School and 42.6 for The Marlborough Science Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Verulam School (53.0 in 2021-22, 54.4 in 2025-26) and has fallen at The Marlborough Science Academy (44.8 in 2021-22, 42.6 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | St AlbansVerulam School | St AlbansThe Marlborough Science Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C65/100Stronger figure | D54/100 | |
| Local ranking | 35th of 81 in Hertfordshire Stronger figure | 62nd of 81 in Hertfordshire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Boys | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 987 | 1,337 | |
| Capacity | 1,135 | 1,250 | |
| Location | St Albans, AL1 4PR | St Albans, AL1 2QA | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 54.4 Stronger figure | 42.6 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 63.6% Stronger figure | 29.0% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 77.5% Stronger figure | 53.8% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 173 | 186 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 99 | 107 | |
| A-level average points | 32.2 Stronger figure | 28.9 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C+ | C | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 33.2 Stronger figure | 28.0 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 15.4% Stronger figure | 7.1% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 984 | 1,335 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 15.1% | 22.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 17.9% | 8.7% | |
| SEN support | 15.8% | 15.1% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.4% | 2.4% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.4% Stronger figure | 9.8% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 21.2% Stronger figure | 30.1% | 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
The Marlborough Science Academy
Full profiles: Verulam School · The Marlborough Science Academy