Academy · Hertfordshire
Samuel Ryder Academy
- All-through
- Ages 4–19
- Sixth form
- Term dates checked
Term dates
This school's own term dates broadly match Hertfordshire council's, so the council's dates are shown here. INSET days can differ, so check the school's calendar for those.
2026/27
2027/28
Admissions
Places for Year 7 are applied for through your home council, not the school.
Apply for a secondary school place on GOV.UK
How places are given: there's no entrance test. When there are more applicants than places, places usually go by criteria such as siblings, distance or catchment area. Check the council's or school's admissions policy for the exact rules.
For the sixth form, apply to the school directly.
How many families applied: Year 7
For September 2026, 140 families put this school as their first choice, and 140 places were offered. 108 of the families who put it first got a place (77%).
| Entry | Places offered | Put it first | Got their first choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 140 | 140 | 77% |
| September 2025 | 145 | 134 | 82% |
| September 2024 | 142 | 151 | 78% |
How many families applied: Reception
For September 2026, 63 families put this school as their first choice, and 60 places were offered. 55 of the families who put it first got a place (87%). More families put it first than there were places.
| Entry | Places offered | Put it first | Got their first choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 60 | 63 | 87% |
| September 2025 | 60 | 49 | 100% |
| September 2024 | 47 | 44 | 100% |
Offers made on national offer day, from the Department for Education. Waiting lists and appeals can change things later. The hardest schools to get into.
Before and after school
No club is registered with Ofsted at this school's address. Ask the school about breakfast or after-school care, or find clubs nearby.
Ofsted inspection
Report card, 21 April 2026. Ofsted now grades each area separately, from exceptional to urgent improvement, with no single overall grade.
- Inclusion
- Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching
- Strong standard
- Achievement
- Expected standard
- Attendance and behaviour
- Strong standard
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Strong standard
- Early years
- Strong standard
- Sixth form
- Expected standard
- Leadership and governance
- Strong standard
Safeguarding standards: met.
Previous inspection, 29 June 2022. Overall: Good
From Ofsted's published inspection data (Open Government Licence). Report cards and older grades use different scales, so they can't be compared directly.
About and location
- Type
- Academy
- Phase
- All-through
- Ages
- 4–19
- Pupils
- 1577 (capacity 1520)
- Gender
- Mixed
- Academy trust
- SCHOLARS' EDUCATION TRUST
- Phone
- 01727859382
- Address
- Drakes Drive, St Albans, AL1 5AR
- Website
- samuelryderacademy.co.uk
School details from the Department for Education's register of schools (Open Government Licence). Report a correction.