Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy

About Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy

Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy sits within Staffordshire local authority and, according to the most recent data, ranks first among the eight secondary schools in East Staffordshire by Progress 8 score. That puts it ahead of local peers such as The Friary School, St John Fisher Catholic College, and Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, all of which appear among the top performers in the wider county. The school is a state-funded Roman Catholic secondary for mixed pupils aged 11 to 16, with no sixth form or nursery provision. It is currently oversubscribed: for 120 places in the 2025/26 intake, the school received 334 applications, with 153 first-preference requests and 117 offers made to first-preference families. That works out at roughly 2.78 applicants per place, a clear sign of its popularity among local families. The school has a capacity of 620 and currently enrols 612 pupils, so it is running very close to full.

Academically, Blessed Robert Sutton has made a notable turnaround. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023, the school received an Outstanding rating across every category — quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. That is a significant improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2016, when it was rated Requires Improvement overall. On the key secondary measure of Progress 8, the school scored 0.29 in the 2023/24 exam year, which is well above the Staffordshire local authority average of -0.18 and is classified as 'Above average' nationally. Its Attainment 8 score stands at 50.3, and 77.7 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The school's EBacc average point score is 4.3, with 74.4 per cent of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects. Progress in English and maths is particularly strong, with scores of 0.49 and 0.48 respectively.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a chapel, science labs, music rooms, art studios, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a sports hall. Sports on offer include hockey, rugby, netball, rowing, and athletics, while extracurricular clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Model United Nations to gardening, eco club, and orchestra. The school has a dedicated set of SEND provisions covering specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 23.3 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively diverse intake. This is a school that suits families looking for a strong academic track record within a Catholic faith context, particularly those who value the security of an Outstanding Ofsted rating and a clear upward trajectory in performance.

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