Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School Catchment Area
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is an academy converter secondary school in St Albans, Hertfordshire , serving pupils aged 11-18, with 1097 pupils, and a capacity of 1056 places. The school is currently at or above capacity, making catchment area proximity important for admissions.
11-18
Age range
1,097
Pupils
1,056
Capacity
104%
Fill rate
Outstanding
Ofsted 2023
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School?
The catchment area for Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is the geographic zone Hertfordshire uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Hertfordshire publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Admission to Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is managed by Hertfordshire and typically includes both faith criteria and catchment area proximity. The weighting given to each criterion depends on the school's published oversubscription policy, which is reviewed annually.
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Want the cut-off distance before you apply? Get an alert when Hertfordshire publishes the 2027 Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School numbers →
The official admissions policy, including the catchment boundary map, is published by Hertfordshire before each admissions cycle. Always verify your address with the council before submitting an application, as boundaries can change year to year.
Find Hertfordshire catchment area documents →Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School: at or above its 1056 place limit
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School has a published admission number of 1056 places. 1097 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 104%. The school is at or above its published limit of 1056 places. Hertfordshire allocates places using ranked criteria: looked-after children first, then siblings, then catchment distance. The last-distance figure is likely to remain tight if demand holds at this level.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 12% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, below the national average. The school draws primarily from a lower-deprivation part of St Albans.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
Hertfordshire publishes its full admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria, the previous year's last-distance figures, and the appeals timetable, on the council's official admissions page. Hertfordshire Council school admissions (official) →
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School: School Information
- Full address
- Colney Heath Lane, St Albans, AL4 0TT
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Secondary
- Age range
- 11-18 years
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 12% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 137938
Other Secondary Schools in St Albans
If Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is oversubscribed, these secondary schools in St Albans are the next closest alternatives.
Townsend Church of England School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · AL3 6DR
Sandringham School Catchment Area
Academy converter · AL4 9NX
Verulam School Catchment Area
Academy converter · AL1 4PR
St Albans Girls' School Catchment Area
Academy converter · AL3 6DB
The Marlborough Science Academy Catchment Area
Academy converter · AL1 2QA
Loreto College Catchment Area
Academy converter · AL1 3RQ
Other Roman Catholic Schools in Hertfordshire
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School shares its religious character with these Roman Catholic schools across Hertfordshire. Faith criteria typically sit alongside catchment distance in each school's admissions policy.
Our Lady Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Welwyn Garden City
St Joseph Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Watford
St Philip Howard Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Hatfield
St Adrian Roman Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · St Albans
Nearest secondary schools by distance
These are the secondary schools closest to Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School by straight-line distance, including ones across a town or council boundary. Distance is not the same as being in catchment: always check each school's own admissions policy for its actual boundary.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School
What is the catchment area for Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School? ▾
The catchment area for Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is the geographic zone Hertfordshire uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Hertfordshire publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School oversubscribed? ▾
Yes, Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School currently has 1097 pupils enrolled against a capacity of 1056 places. Catchment area proximity is an important admissions criterion when applying.
What is the admissions policy for Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School? ▾
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School uses both faith criteria and catchment area proximity in its admissions policy. The weighting is reviewed annually and published by Hertfordshire before each admissions cycle.
What age range does Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School cover? ▾
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is a secondary school in St Albans, Hertfordshire, serving pupils aged 11-18. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School? ▾
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School was rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2023. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.