Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School
78%
Capacity
1,302
Pupils
2.4x
Demand
About Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School in Halton holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across both its most recent graded and ungraded inspections. The school’s most informative exam metric is its Progress 8 score of -0.61, which is classified as well below average nationally. This places the school 4th out of 7 secondary schools in Halton, and 362nd out of 445 in the North West region. The local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.57, meaning Saints Peter and Paul sits slightly below that benchmark. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 39.9, and 55.9% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though that figure drops to 31.7% when looking at grade 5 or above. Only 12.1% of pupils entered the EBacc suite of subjects, and 7.8% achieved it at grade 4 or above.
Breaking down the Progress 8 figures, the school’s weakest area is the EBacc bucket at -0.87, followed by English at -0.68 and maths at -0.49. The open element, which includes other GCSE subjects, is the strongest at -0.41. The school does not have a sixth form, so all pupils leave at 16. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, leadership and management, behaviour and attitudes, and the sixth form provision were all rated Good. The school has a large roll of 1,302 pupils against a capacity of 1,677, and 41.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is significantly above the national average. The school is Roman Catholic in character, and the headteacher is Danielle Scott.
The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 611 applications for 257 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.38, with 239 first-preference offers made. Facilities include a theatre, swimming pool, sports hall, music rooms, art studios, and a chapel. Sports on offer range from football and netball to martial arts and gymnastics, and clubs include Model UN, debate, eco club, and a newspaper group. The school has a broad range of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a large, popular Catholic secondary that serves a high-needs community and offers strong facilities, but families should weigh the below-average Progress 8 outcomes against the school’s inclusive ethos and wide-ranging support.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Highfield Road, Widnes, Halton, WA8 7DW |
| Headteacher | Danielle Scott |
| Local Authority | Halton |
| Number of Pupils | 1,302 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 41.4% |
| School Capacity | 1,302 / 1,677 (78% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
6 Jul 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (6 Jul 2022): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 13 Sept 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.61)
2745th of 3,141
Nationally
362nd of 445
In North West
4th of 7
In Halton
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/233%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 268 pupils).
- FE college76%
- Sixth form college7%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Employment4%
- School sixth form (stay)3%
- Not sustained3%
97% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
15Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed257
611
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
239 families put this school as their 1st choice (39% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:35 – 14:50
Source: saintspeterandpaul.halton.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British84.3%
- Mixed3.8%
- White (other)3.2%
- Asian0.7%
- Black0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
13
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
7
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Highfield Road, Widnes
Halton, WA8 7DW
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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