Samuel Ryder Academy
All-through · Academy sponsor led · Ages 4–19 · St Albans, Hertfordshire
Last distance offered · Reception 2026
0.57 miles
Nearest School · Published by Hertfordshire County Council · offers on 16 April 2026
Year 7 2026: 2.63 mi
Reception last distance offered, 2019–2026 (miles)
Samuel Ryder Academy is an all-through school in St Albans, Hertfordshire for ages 4–19 (academy sponsor led). Hertfordshire has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception and Year 7 2015 to 2026 entry.
Samuel Ryder Academy catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Reception 2026 | 0.57 mi |
| Year 7 2026 | 2.63 mi |
| Reception 2025 | 0.37 mi |
| Year 7 2025 | 2.48 mi |
| Reception 2024 | 0.65 mi |
| Year 7 2024 | 2.45 mi |
| Reception 2023 | 0.37 mi |
| Year 7 2023 | 2.67 mi |
| Reception 2022 | 0.33 mi |
| Year 7 2022 | 2.12 mi |
| Reception 2021 | 0.39 mi |
| Year 7 2021 | 2.12 mi |
| Reception 2020 | 0.55 mi |
| Year 7 2020 | 0.96 mi |
| Reception 2019 | 0.38 mi |
| Year 7 2019 | 0.87 mi |
| Reception 2018 | 0.27 mi |
| Year 7 2018 | 2.42 mi |
| Reception 2017 | 0.80 mi |
| Year 7 2017 | 2.67 mi |
| Reception 2016 | 0.55 mi |
| Year 7 2016 | 1.79 mi |
| Reception 2015 | 0.57 mi |
| Year 7 2015 | 1.78 mi |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- In 2026 the last Reception place offered, for children whose nearest school it is, went to a child 0.57 miles away: further than in 2025, about the same as 2015.
- For Year 7 in 2026, the last place offered to children in the priority area whose nearest school it is went to a child living 2.63 miles away.
- Reception 2026 drew 63 first-choice applications for 60 offers; 55 offers went to first-choice families, and 8 first-choice families (13%) were not offered a place.
- A level students in 2024/25 averaged grade B- (England B-), with average progress from GCSE to A level.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Hertfordshire schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Drakes Drive, St Albans, AL1 5AR
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- All-through
- Ages
- 4–19
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Hertfordshire
- Pupils on roll
- 1,577 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 19% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 17.4
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
No Ofsted grade Inspected 21 April 2026
Strengths
- “This school is a harmonious community where pupils of all ages happily work together.”
- “Sixth-form students and older pupils in key stage 4 enthusiastically volunteer their services to work with younger peers.”
- “Pupils thoroughly enjoy attending school.”
To improve
- “Leaders quickly picked up that pupils' handwriting in key stage 2 is not currently at the standard they would expect.”
- “Leaders recognise there is further work to do, in some subjects, with developing students' synoptic learning.”
Safeguarding: met
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 10 July 2026 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| Key stage 2 · reading, writing and maths, expected standard (2024/25) | 80% | 62% |
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 70% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 56.5 | 46 |
| A level average grade (2024/25) | B- | B- |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Reception entry: 63 first-preference applications, 60 offers in total, 55 offers to first-preference applicants.
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 140 first-preference applications, 140 offers in total, 108 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby special, independent and other schools
Straight-line distance, in Hertfordshire.
- Links Academy 1.0 mi School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next
- St Albans Independent College 1.2 mi No Ofsted grade
- Watling View School 1.3 mi Improved significantly
- St Albans High School for Girls 1.6 mi No Ofsted grade
- St Albans School 1.7 mi No Ofsted grade
- St Columba's College 1.7 mi No Ofsted grade
- Heathlands School 1.9 mi School remains Outstanding
- Batchwood School 2.2 mi No Ofsted grade