Sandringham School
Sandringham School is a coeducational secondary academy in Marshalswick, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It opened in 1988 after Marshalswick School and Wheathampstead School merged. The school sits on the old Marshalswick site, near Wheatfields Infants and Juniors. The Wheathampstead site was turned into housing in 2007.
BeauSandVer is the partnership that links Sandringham with Verulam School and Beaumont School to help with post-16 education.
The school mainly serves the northeast of St Albans (Marshalswick and Jersey Farm) and the villages of Sandridge and Wheathampstead.
History and buildings
- The Marshalswick buildings were built in the 1960s.
- Wheathampstead School opened in 1965 and closed in 1988.
- The school’s theatre, the SandPit, opened in 2001 and is used for productions, events, and teaching.
Ofsted and status
- In February 2024, Ofsted rated the school as Outstanding in all areas.
- The school became an academy in 2012. Its last inspection before becoming an academy (in 2008) also rated it Outstanding.
Specialisms and programs
- The school has specialisms in Arts, Science, and Leading Edge.
- It has High Performing Specialist School status from the SSAT (awarded several times).
- It is an Accredited Initial Teacher Training Provider (AITTP), offering qualified teacher status through the GTP program.
- The school has hosted notable activities, including a world-record lesson and a radio contact with Tim Peake on the International Space Station in January 2016.
House system
- A house system started in 2005 with six houses: Brunel, Descartes, Einstein, King, Shakespeare, and da Vinci.
- In 2012 the names changed to Boudica, Darwin, Erikson, Knight, Seacole, and Van Gogh.
- In 2017 a seventh house, Shakespeare, was added. In 2019-20 Hepworth House was introduced.
- Each house has two Co-Heads of House, House Captains, and a House Committee. Houses compete in events like sports day, drama, music, dance, and photography, with points deciding the winner.
The SandPit
- The SandPit theatre was opened in 2001 at a cost of about £1 million. It is on site, used by the school and community for performances, events, and lessons.
Enrollment and leadership
- About 1,640 students attend the school.
- Age range is 11 to 18.
- Head Teacher: Alan Gray.
- Chair of Governors: Anna Cox.
colors and motto
- School colors are Black, Red, and Yellow.
- Motto: Everybody can be somebody.
Publication and website
- The school publishes SandPrint weekly.
- Website: www.sandringham.herts.sch.uk
Precursors
- The school was formed from Marshalswick School and Wheathampstead School.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 16:54 (CET).