Painsley Catholic College

About Painsley Catholic College

Parents considering Painsley Catholic College will find strong signals that the school is in high demand locally. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 355 applications for 215 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.65. Of those, 216 were first-preference applications, and 208 first-preference offers were made, meaning the vast majority of families who put it top got a place. While the school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage, the sheer volume of applications relative to places suggests a solid reputation among local families. The school is a state-funded Roman Catholic secondary for mixed pupils aged 11 to 18, with a current roll of 1,318 against a capacity of 1,447. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated overall effectiveness as Good, though the quality of education and sixth-form provision were both judged Outstanding. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management all came out as Good, a slight step down from the school’s previous Outstanding rating in 2007.

Academically, Painsley performs well above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.51 is significantly higher than the Staffordshire local authority average of -0.18, placing the school in the top 25% nationally and first among the seven secondary schools in Staffordshire Moorlands. The Attainment 8 score sits at 57, and 85.6% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is high at 82.7%, with 51% of pupils achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. In the sixth form, the picture is more mixed: the value-added score is -0.01, which is average, and the average points per entry is 34.62, equivalent to a C+ grade. The best three A-levels average out at a C+ grade too, with 12.7% of students achieving AAB or higher. So while the school excels at GCSE, sixth-form outcomes are solid but not outstanding.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including science labs, a sixth-form centre, music rooms, art studios, a sports hall, gymnasium, astro turf, and a chapel. Sports on offer include basketball, hockey, netball, tennis, gymnastics, and rounders, while clubs range from science club and gardening to choir, chess, Young Enterprise, Duke of Edinburgh, and Model UN. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, autistic spectrum disorder, and a resourced provision. With 13.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a broadly representative intake. This is a good fit for Catholic families who want strong GCSE outcomes and a faith-based environment, but it’s also worth noting that oversubscription means not all applicants will get a place.

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