Nicholas Breakspear School

Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School
Address
Colney Heath Lane St Albans , Hertfordshire , AL4 0TT England , United Kingdom
Coordinates	51.74747°N 0.28881°W / 51.74747; -0.28881
Information
Type	Academy
Motto	Per Tuas Semitas (English: "In thy ways")
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Established	1963
Founder	Father John Farnsborough
Local authority	Hertfordshire County Council
Area trustee	Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust
Department for Education URN	137938 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Chair of governors	Sue McLellen
Head teacher	Declan Linnane
Staff	124
Gender	Coeducational
Age	11 to 18
Enrolment	574 (2016)
Houses	Ten Houses
Colour(s)	Navy blue and yellow
Slogan	Nurture Believe Succeed
Publication	NBS School Magazine
Website	nbs.herts.sch.uk

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. (The school goes to Rome each year, but has only once gone to the tomb)

Recent history

After a 2008 renovation of the science classrooms, Chris Reeves made a nativity scene composed of sculptures made from the discarded 1960s 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.

List of houses

• More House
• Soubirous House
• Lisieux House
• Kolbe House
• Bosco House
• Bakhita House

School staff

List of Headteachers

Name	Tenure
	From	To
J C White	pre-2000	2005
Phil Jakszta	2005	2013
Declan Linnane	2014	present day

Notable alumni

• Tom Cahill, Satoshi Ishida, and Sean Lemon - musicians who played in the band Saving Aimee.
• Matthew Connolly (b. 1987) - professional football player, he started his career at Arsenal and most notably played for Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City.
• Nick Isiekwe (b. 1998) - professional English rugby union player.