St Bede's Catholic High School
102%
Capacity
706
Pupils
2.9x
Demand
About St Bede's Catholic High School
St Bede’s Catholic High School was rated Good in all areas by Ofsted following its most recent graded inspection in November 2024, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2022. The school’s strongest academic signal is its Progress 8 score of 0.41, which is classified as Above Average nationally. This means pupils here make significantly more progress between Key Stage 2 and GCSEs than the average student across England. To put that in context, the average Progress 8 score for secondary schools in Lancashire is -0.11, so St Bede’s is performing well above its local authority baseline. The school also ranks first among the eight secondary schools in West Lancashire on this measure, and sits in the top 25% of schools nationally. With an Attainment 8 score of 51.6, pupils are leaving with strong GCSE results, and 75.9% achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths.
Digging deeper into the GCSE data, the school’s Progress 8 breakdown shows particularly strong progress in open subjects (0.72) and maths (0.4), while English progress sits at 0.15 and EBacc subjects at 0.26. The EBacc entry rate is 33.6%, with 17.5% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above across the full EBacc combination. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 95% of the 153 respondents would recommend the school, and 93% agree or strongly agree that their child is happy. Behaviour and personal development were both rated Good by inspectors, and 91% of parents feel the school makes sure pupils are well behaved. The school has a Roman Catholic character and is led by headteacher Daniel Morgan, with 706 pupils on roll against a capacity of 689, meaning it is technically slightly over capacity.
St Bede’s is a popular choice locally, receiving 387 applications for 135 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, with 163 first-preference applications for 134 offers — an oversubscription ratio of 2.87. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, science labs, and a chapel, plus clubs such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model UN, and Young Enterprise. SEND provision covers ten categories including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disability, though 27% of parents who responded disagreed that SEND children get the support they need, which is worth noting. With no sixth form, this is a straight 11–16 school, and it suits families who want strong academic progress in a faith-based setting with good behaviour and a wide extracurricular offer.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | St Anne's Road, Ormskirk, West Lancashire, L39 4TA |
| Headteacher | Daniel Morgan |
| Local Authority | Lancashire |
| Number of Pupils | 706 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 6.2% |
| School Capacity | 706 / 689 (102% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
12 Nov 2024Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Source: Ofsted, 12 Jan 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.41)
637th of 3,141
Nationally
62nd of 445
In North West
1st of 8
In West Lancashire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more 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
2022/232%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 141 pupils).
- Sixth form college47%
- FE college39%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Employment3%
- Not sustained3%
- School sixth form (stay)2%
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.
Ofsted Parent View
153 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
15Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed135
387
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
163 families put this school as their 1st choice (42% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:50 – 15:15
Source: sbchs.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half 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
2024/25Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British93.1%
- Mixed3.4%
- Asian1.5%
- White (other)0.7%
- Black0.1%
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
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half 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.
7
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
5
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 St Bede's 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
St Anne's Road, Ormskirk
West Lancashire, L39 4TA
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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