St Albans High School for Girls: a long day and a wide coach network

The broad curriculum still requires early choices

Years 7–8 study separate sciences and choose two languages from French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish. Year 9 retains core subjects with five electives. Most pupils take ten GCSEs, including English Language, English Literature, Maths, Science and at least one modern language.

Most take triple science, while some take double.

A late coach helps, but it does not solve every activity day

Senior registration is 08:30–08:40, lessons run 08:45–16:00, ordinary coaches leave at 16:10 and late coaches at 17:40. Some activities and supervised study run until 18:00, so check whether the child’s likely commitment and coach actually line up.

The network covers Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and North London, but routes and stops respond to demand. The downloadable transport guide covers 2025–26. Do a real end-of-day journey and obtain the 2027 stop, seat and price in writing.

Prep wraparound care runs 07:15–18:00. Charges differ by age and session, so the family budget should include the child’s actual collection pattern rather than a single headline fee.

The phone rule changes again for the September 2027 cohort

The current phone policy says Prep pupils may not bring smartphones or smartwatches. From September 2027, Years 7–8 may not bring them either, although a basic non-internet phone is allowed. Permitted devices in Years 7–11 remain unused, on do-not-disturb and in lockers from 08:15–16:00.

Sixth-form phone use is confined to the Sixth Centre. Confirm how the rule works on coaches, trips and late-activity days, especially if the family depends on journey updates.

The support structure is visible; individual delivery still needs testing

The current SEND policy describes an assess–plan–do–review process, classroom adaptation, literacy or study support and evidenced arrangements such as extra time, rest breaks and laptop use. External specialist assessments may be requested at parents’ cost.

The live admissions pages do not publish the evidence deadline for entrance adjustments.

Senior pupils can use the Hub, bringing together nurses, counsellors, chaplaincy, a multi-faith space, PSHE and learning support. The 2024 inspection found SEND pupils supported but said a small proportion of middle-school pupils felt physical or mental health support was insufficient.

Strong results are one part of choosing a school

School-published 2026 results show 47% of GCSE grades at 9, 74% at grades 8–9 and 90% grades 7–9. At A level, 39% were A*, 77% A*–A and 94% A*–B. The live page does not publish subject-entry totals or exact cohort sizes, so these percentages cannot become pupil counts or admissions odds.

The February 2024 ISI inspection found all relevant standards met; it did not award an “excellent” or “outstanding” overall grade. Its next step was to develop the wellbeing strategy so middle-school pupils felt confident using the support already available.

That inspection predates the September 2024 creation of St Albans Education Group with Stormont School. It remains useful evidence about STAHS at the time, not an evaluation of the present group structure.

The current Year 7 baseline reaches £30,318 with daily lunch

These are the school’s 2026–27 VAT-inclusive figures, not a September 2027 quotation. Registration is £180 including VAT. Deposits are £1,000 for Prep and £1,500 for Senior or Sixth Form, held until leaving and credited to the final bill.

Coaches, trips, music, speech and drama, some activities, uniform and public examinations can add materially. New uniform is estimated by the school at about £800. The public footer link is to website terms, not the parent contract, so the contract, notice terms and an anonymised first-year bill have to come from the school before you accept.

The school also publishes a 5% sibling discount from September 2026 for a second or later child attending concurrently. A qualified extension may apply when another child attends a different fee-paying school, but eligibility is conditional; confirm it before building the family budget.

Bursaries that can include transport and lunch

Means-tested bursaries are normally available at Year 7 and Year 12, exceptionally in other Senior years, and not at Prep. They may reach 100% tuition and can also help with transport, lunch, uniform, educational trips and music.

The 2027 calendar is detailed, except where families most need clarity

Save the school’s route pages for Prep, Senior, and Sixth Form. The published Sixth Form dates cannot all be right: December offers appear before January interviews, even though assessment performance determines the shortlist. Ask Admissions for a corrected timetable in writing rather than assuming which month is wrong.

Year 9 entry is available, but its likely size is unclear. One school FAQ calls 13+ a main entry point; the Senior overview says Year 7 is the main intake and other years depend on vacancies. Ask how many external Year 9 places are planned for 2027.

The 11+ is more than an ISEB score

The first stage uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test: adaptive multiple-choice English, Maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, lasting about 2.5 hours in total. Maths reaches the end of the Year 5 National Curriculum.

Current school guidance also names a written communication task, a taster lesson and educational team activities. Selected candidates return for relaxed group activities with senior staff. Parents meet the Head or a Deputy separately; the school explicitly says that meeting is not part of the pupil assessment.

No pass mark is published. The school’s phrase “well above the national average” does not translate into a fixed score families can aim for. Use the official ISEB walkthrough to make the screen feel familiar, then focus on comprehension, arithmetic, concise communication and joining a group without taking over.

Some candidates may sit ISEB at their current school if it is an approved invigilation centre, but they still attend STAHS for the other activities. See our 11+ planning guide for the wider calendar.