St Columba's College
King Harry Lane, St Albans, AL3 4AW
- Phase
- Independent schools
- School type
- Other independent school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Headteacher
- Mr Karl Guest
- Constituency
- St Albans
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 865
- Pupils on roll
- 822
- URN
- 117638
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01727855185
About this school
St Columba's College is a Roman Catholic independent school in St Albans. It teaches children aged 4 to 19 and has 822 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected St Columba's College under its current framework. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
St Columba's College has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in December 1957, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 100 | 98 | 93 |
| Attainment 8 score | 35.7 | 34.2 | 32.9 |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How St Columba's College has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Hertfordshire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 35.7 | 44.6 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 34.2 | 44.2 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 32.9 | 44.1 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 797 |
| 2023/24 | 818 |
| 2024/25 | 830 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 0%
- Pupils with an EHC plan
- 0
- Pupils on SEN support
- 373
Location
Nearby schools
-
St Albans School0.6 miles
Independent schools · St Albans
-
Watling View School0.7 miles
Special schools · St Albans
-
St Albans Independent College0.8 miles
Independent schools · St Albans
-
St Albans High School for Girls1.2 miles
Independent schools
-
Batchwood School1.6 miles
Special schools · St Albans
Other schools in St Albans
- Beechwood Park School Independent schools
- St Albans Independent College Independent schools
- St Albans School Independent schools
- Muriel Green Nursery School Nursery
- Aboyne Lodge Junior Mixed and Infant School Primary
- Alban City School Primary
- Bernards Heath Infant and Nursery School Primary
- Bernards Heath Junior School Primary
- Bowmansgreen Primary School Primary
- Camp Primary and Nursery School Primary
- Colney Heath Primary School Primary
- Cunningham Hill Infant School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does St Columba's College teach?
- St Columba's College teaches children aged 4 to 19. It is an independent school in St Albans.
- Who is the headteacher of St Columba's College?
- The headteacher of St Columba's College is Mr Karl Guest, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has St Columba's College been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected St Columba's College under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How many pupils are at St Columba's College?
- St Columba's College has 822 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 19.
- Is St Columba's College full?
- St Columba's College has capacity for 865 pupils and 822 on roll (95%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Columba's College a faith school?
- Yes. St Columba's College is designated Roman Catholic.
- How have St Columba's College's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 35.7 in 2022/23 and 32.9 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What are St Columba's College's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St Columba's College's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 24 July 2026.