St Albans School, St Albans | The Good Schools Guide

St Albans School
Abbey Gateway
St Albans
Hertfordshire
AL3 4HB
Head: Mr J Gillespie
T 01727 855521
F 01727 843447
E [email protected]
W www.st-albans.herts.sch.uk
An independent school for boys aged from 11 to 19.
Boarding: No
Local authority: Hertfordshire
Pupils: 863; sixth formers: 310 (80 girls)
Religion: Christian Inter-denominational
Fees: £18,600 pa
Open days: Several throughout the year. Contact school.
Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
ISI report: View the ISI report

What The Good Schools Guide says..

Sport has a strong reputation here, but non-sporty types need not fear, say parents. ‘Everyone has to take part in sport because it keeps you fit and healthy, but there’s no ethos of "You will enjoy sport, no matter what!"’ There’s a real buzz here, with a purposeful, dynamic and friendly vibe, where students are hungry to learn but don’t take themselves too seriously. ‘Unashamedly a selective school, but not ...

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What the school says...

St Albans is a day school for academically able boys aged 11-18 and girls aged 16-18. Founded in 948, its atmosphere and ethos derive from its long tradition and its geographical position near the historic centre of St Albans, in close proximity to the Abbey and overlooking the remains of Roman Verulamium.

Whilst maintaining very high standards of academic achievement, it offers wide opportunities for development in other fields: the School's sporting record is exceptional and Drama and Music are strengths, with a distinguished tradition in choral music. Emphasis is laid on the use of individual talents in the service of the community, through the Duke of Edinburgh's Scheme and such activities as Community Service; the Partnership Scheme with local primary schools and the flourishing CCF. ...Read more

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Sports

Shooting

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headteacher

Since 2014, Jonathan Gillespie, previously head of Lancing College for eight years. Read modern and medieval languages and did a PGCE at Cambridge; taught at Highgate School and Fettes College before joining Lancing.

Doesn’t teach pupils on timetabled basis (‘the demands of a head mean I couldn’t give it my all’), but gets stuck into Oxbridge trial interviews, assemblies, giving out weekly commendations etc. A more consultative leader than his predecessor (brought in the first parental questionnaire the school has ever seen), but believes in ‘evolution not revolution’ in terms of making changes. Pupils describe him as ‘approachable’ and not somebody they want ‘to let down.’

We found him amiable, chatty and excitable, but also traditional and authoritative. Keen sports coach, especially hockey (he umpires at national...

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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)

Independent schools frequently offer IGCSEs or other qualifications alongside or as an alternative to GCSE. The DfE does not record performance data for these exams so independent school GCSE data is frequently misleading; parents should check the results with the schools.

Results by exam and subject

Subject results

Entry/Exit

Special Education Needs

All our pupils are capable of coping with a rigorous academic education carried on at a rapid pace. A pupil with serious dyslexia or dyspraxia would struggle to cope. However, we recognise that even the ablest can experience specific difficulties that could prevent them achieving their fullest potential, and may therefore benefit from some learning support. All new entrants are screened for previously undetected dyslexia and monitoring continues throughout a pupil's career. Where a problem is suspected, a diagnostic assessment is offered, following which, an assessment by an independent Educational Psychologist may be recommended. Sometimes, an able pupil will have developed coping strategies which obscure a problem that comes to light only in later years as the demands of the work become more complex, and staff are trained to spot such emergent difficulties. Various levels of support are available, including one-to-one tuition with a specialist teacher who is freelance but spends all her time at the school. 09-09

Condition	Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder	Y
Aspergers	Y
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders	Y
CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia
Dyscalculia
Dysgraphia
Dyslexia
Dyspraxia
English as an additional language (EAL)
Genetic
Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory
Has SEN unit or class
HI - Hearing Impairment
Hospital School
Mental health
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Natspec Specialist Colleges
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Special facilities for Visually Impaired
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
VI - Visual Impairment

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Who came from where

School	Year	Places	Scholarships	Description
Aldwickbury School	2018	12	3	Academic Scholarship (3)
Beechwood Park School	2018	13	3	Academic Scholarship (2); Sport Scholarship
Edge Grove Preparatory School	2018	5	1
Hereward House School	2018	1
Lockers Park School	2018	6
Manor Lodge School	2018	11
St Anthony's Preparatory School	2018	1

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