Nicholas Breakspear School
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School (NBS) is a secondary school with academy status situated on the rural fringe of St Albans, an old Roman city in Hertfordshire, England. The school takes its name from the 12th-century priest St Albans-born and educated Nicholas Breakspear, who, as Pope Adrian IV, is the only Englishman ever to have occupied the papal chair. The school makes an annual pilgrimage to his tomb in Rome. Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is a vibrant place of activity, inclusivity and kindness. It is a unique environment where the character of young people is formed , developed and encouraged to flourish. The school thrives on the Gospel Values of Peace, Justice, Truth and Love. They believe believe that each individual is a unique creation of God and that our role is to nurture every child’s talents and gifts to their full potential. The NBS Pupil Profile guides their students to grow into confident citizens to fulfill the school’s Mission – to build a better world. The school takes on the responsibility of a child’s education, they expect the very best from them in order to achieve their full potential. Their examination results makes us  one of the leading schools in Hertfordshire and places NBS in the top 7% of schools nationally. Standards are important Their programme of academic development is specifically designed to focus on improving every pupil’s chance of achieving the highest academic success. It is based on a flexible structure of pastoral care that individually monitors each child. They use methods of tailored guidance and intervention to make sure pupils stay on the right path to success. They emphasise the importance of parental support and independent learning. By working together with our highly committed and dedicated staff, they ensure that the  academic programme at Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is the right choice for all. Recent history. After a 2008 renovation of the science classrooms, Chris Reeves made a nativity scene composed of sculptures made from the discarded 1960's desks. In September 2013 the school celebrated its golden anniversary with a service offered by the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster at SS Alban and Stephen Church in the presence of the mayor of St Albans. The mass was followed by a tree-planting ceremony on the school grounds. It was recently categorized in 2016 as a 'Good' school but still remains a  school with below average teachers. On 13 January 2016, Prince William ate lunch with Breakspear students at John Henry Newman School as he waited for paramedics. The East Anglian Air Ambulance, of which the Duke of Cambridge is part of, frequently uses the Newman School fields. The student leaders' take part in a trip to Hoima and Kasambya in Uganda supporting a charity; Kiddies Support Scheme (KiSS) helping families become self-sufficient. To date this team has led a school community to raise over £50000 for this charity. House system. Breakspear has six houses, each named after a saint  whose life is intended to serve as an example to the community. Students are assigned to one of the houses on entrance to the school in Year 7 where they remain until the end of 6th form; whenever possible younger siblings become a member of the same house. Each member of staff is also attached to a house. Each house has two designated Year 11 House Captains, and one Sixth Form House Leader, who aides in coordinating house teams, organise activities and events and represent their house at relevant meetings. Houses compete between themselves for the most point accumulated during  both terms of the school year.