School profile

Samuel Ryder Academy

All-through · Academy sponsor led · St Albans, AL1 5AR

Good

Map showing Samuel Ryder Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#1,757 of 15,057

Better than 88% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

GCSE 2025/26

#700 of 3,312

Better than 78% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#996 of 2,536

Better than 60% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Samuel Ryder Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 21 Apr 2026

Area360 rating
Good
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching
Strong standard
Achievement
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Leadership and governance
Strong standard
Early years
Strong standard
Post-16 provision
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseAll-through
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages4 to 19
Pupils1,577
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Kyle Barry
TrustSCHOLARS' EDUCATION TRUST
Local authorityHertfordshire
Opened01 Sept 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 138582.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths80%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire64%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.20%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire11%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.110, better than England, better than Hertfordshire107106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.110, better than England, better than Hertfordshire105105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.110, better than England, better than Hertfordshire106105
Expected standard in reading93%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire79%76%
Expected standard in writing82%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire73%73%
Expected standard in maths95%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire76%75%
Pupils taking tests60--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.52.4, better than England, similar to Hertfordshire50.446.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.73.9%, better than England, similar to Hertfordshire71.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.50.5%, better than England, worse than Hertfordshire53.6%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.21.3%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire18.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths70.2%, better than England, similar to Hertfordshire67.2%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4188--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.35.38, similar to England, similar to Hertfordshire36.8235
Average A-level gradeB---
Average points, best three A-levels35.57, similar to England, similar to Hertfordshire37.435.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsB---
AAB or better9.8%, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire19%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.0, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study78--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist+--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,577
Girls726
Boys851
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.19%
First language not English14.5%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,540
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
Sixth form places2024/25220
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.215
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.39
Average class size22.4

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
53.2%
Other White
8.2%
Other mixed
6.1%
Bangladeshi
5.8%
Other ethnic group
5.5%
Other Asian
3.4%
White and Asian
3.3%
Pakistani
2.9%
Indian
2%
Chinese
2%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.7
Teachers (FTE)90.72
Teaching assistants (FTE)26.77
Support staff (FTE)60.48
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2586.7
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2579.5
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/256.2

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.60
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.156
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.63
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.55
Applications from another local authority (Reception)1
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.140
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.670
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.140
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.108
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)2

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Overall absence6.3%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire7.4%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.16.2%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire18.5%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.1.7%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire2.9%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate12.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions3.6%
Permanent exclusion rate0.1%
Permanent exclusions1

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.95.3%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.91.7%
School sixth form61.5%
Further education29.7%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.3.1%
Apprenticeship2.1%
Employment1.6%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.96.1%
Higher education80.5%
Employment10.4%
Apprenticeship3.9%
Further education1.3%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.1.3%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Samuel Ryder Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.4 miPrimaryWindermere Primary SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
0.4 miPrimaryCunningham Hill Infant SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
0.4 miPrimaryCunningham Hill Junior SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
0.5 miPrimaryCamp Primary and Nursery SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.9 miPrimarySt Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & NurseryAcademy converter
Good
0.9 miPrimaryFleetville Junior SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryFleetville Infant and Nursery SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.0 miPrimaryLondon Colney Primary & Nursery SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.1 miSecondaryNicholas Breakspear Catholic SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.2 miPrimarySt Peter's SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Samuel Ryder Academy

What is Samuel Ryder Academy's Ofsted rating?

Samuel Ryder Academy is rated Good, last inspected on 21 Apr 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Samuel Ryder Academy rank in England?

Samuel Ryder Academy ranks 1,757 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 88% of schools), 700 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 78% of schools) and 996 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (better than 60% of schools).

What are Samuel Ryder Academy's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 80% of pupils at Samuel Ryder Academy met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

What are Samuel Ryder Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 50.5% of pupils at Samuel Ryder Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 52.4 (England 46.2).

What are Samuel Ryder Academy's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Samuel Ryder Academy was B-, and 9.8% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Samuel Ryder Academy?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Samuel Ryder Academy made 60 offers from 156 applications (2.6 per offer), and 55 of 63 first-preference applicants got a place. For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, it made 140 offers from 670 applications (4.8 per offer), and 108 of 140 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Samuel Ryder Academy?

Samuel Ryder Academy has 1,577 pupils aged 4 to 19.

What is the capacity of Samuel Ryder Academy?

Samuel Ryder Academy had 1,540 school places in 2024/25.

Does Samuel Ryder Academy have a sixth form?

Yes, Samuel Ryder Academy has a sixth form with 220 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Samuel Ryder Academy?

At Samuel Ryder Academy, the average class had 22.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Samuel Ryder Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Samuel Ryder Academy missed 6.3% of sessions (England 8%), and 16.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.