A St Albans school has come in the top 22 for attainment in the whole of the United Kingdom.

Samuel Ryder Academy, on Drakes Drive, scored 0.66 out of a possible 0.97 in the Progress 8 ratings.

Progress 8 is a new government ratings system, which is calculated for each pupil by comparing their test results with the average scores of all pupils nationally who had a similar starting point, otherwise known as ‘prior attainment’.

The greater the Progress 8 score, the greater the progress made by the pupil, compared to the average of pupils with similar earlier results.

School governor Robert Dunster said: “This is an unbelievable success story that demonstrates the hard work and commitment the staff, pupils and parents of Samuel Ryder Academy perform to every day.

“To have one of the top schools in the country on our doorstep, and to have the best in Herts for English demonstrates how the challenges all schools are facing are being so expertly managed, with success after success at Samuel Ryder.”