Ashlyns School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,561 pupils
94% stayed in education · Attainment 8 57.9
Academy converter
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,134of 1,056 places
- Free school meals
- 11.5%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 175
- Ofsted
- Outstanding, 14 November 2023Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School (URN 117584, until 1 March 2012).
What the data says
Of the 179 pupils who finished Year 11 at Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School in 2023, 65% stayed on in Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School’s own sixth form (Hertfordshire average 58%), 27% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 60 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 63% went to university (Hertfordshire 42%, England 37%), and 21% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were well above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 56.4 against 46.1 across England and 50.6 in Hertfordshire, with 65% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Religious Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 99% of the year group took it, against 31% of pupils across England.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Hertfordshire and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 179 | 14,400 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 97% | 95% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 94% | 92% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 65% | 58% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 1% | 2% | 13% |
| — further education college | 27% | 31% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 0% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 1% | 3% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 60 | 14,189 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 80% | 82% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 63% | 42% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 21% | 24% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 5% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 12% | 28% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 8% | 13% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 56.4 | 50.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 65% | 53% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 83% | 72% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 81% | 47% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 5.28 | 4.56 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 17% | 18% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 49.6 | 34.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 57.8 | 54.1 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 30% | 16% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Literature | 174 | 99% | 86% | 23% | 21% | 86% |
| English Language | 173 | 99% | 89% | 27% | 20% | 87% |
| Religious Studies | 173 | 99% | 31% | 21% | 32% | 75% |
| Mathematics | 173 | 99% | 88% | 39% | 22% | 88% |
| Combined Science | 137 | 78% | 65% | 22% | 9% | 73% |
| Geography | 97 | 55% | 41% | 32% | 25% | 72% |
| Business Studies | 90 | 51% | 18% | 40% | 20% | 84% |
| Spanish | 77 | 44% | 19% | 14% | 27% | 44% |
| History | 74 | 42% | 41% | 38% | 26% | 84% |
| French | 65 | 37% | 18% | 12% | 29% | 85% |
| 3D Design | 40 | 23% | 2% | 23% | 16% | 83% |
| Physical Education | 37 | 21% | 11% | 22% | 24% | 65% |
| Biology | 37 | 21% | 23% | 54% | 45% | 100% |
| Physics | 36 | 21% | 23% | 69% | 46% | 97% |
| Chemistry | 36 | 21% | 23% | 72% | 47% | 100% |
| Computer Science | 21 | 12% | 13% | 43% | 30% | 86% |
| Art and Design | 19 | 11% | 7% | 37% | 24% | 84% |
| Graphic Communication | 17 | 10% | 1% | 0% | 23% | 47% |
| Drama | 16 | 9% | 7% | 25% | 27% | 94% |
| Polish | 14 | 8% | 1% | 93% | 84% | 100% |
| Music | 9 | 5% | 5% | 22% | 33% | 89% |
| Portuguese | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
| Modern Greek | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 33% | — |
| Chinese | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 25 | 32% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 19 | 25% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 15 | 19% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 192 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 77 | 8,082 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B- | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 35.77 | 36.82 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B- | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 13% | 19% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| History | 23 | 30% | 13% |
| Psychology | 22 | 29% | 23% |
| Business Studies | 20 | 26% | 13% |
| Sociology | 19 | 25% | 13% |
| Mathematics | 17 | 22% | 31% |
| Politics | 16 | 21% | 6% |
| Physics | 14 | 18% | 12% |
| Chemistry | 11 | 14% | 17% |
| English Literature | 10 | 13% | 11% |
| Geography | 9 | 12% | 10% |
| Fine Art | 7 | 9% | 3% |
| Further Mathematics | 6 | 8% | 5% |
| 3D Design | 6 | 8% | 1% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Russian | — | — | 0% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Physical Education | — | — | 3% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
| Drama | — | — | 2% |
| Polish | — | — | 0% |
| Biology | — | — | 20% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma at Level 3 | 15 | 19% | — |
| Multimedia | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 15 | 19% | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 14 | 18% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 12 | 16% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 10 | 13% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 7 | 9% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Hertfordshire
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Beaumont School
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Birchwood High School
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Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School
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Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.