St Benedict's Catholic High School
43%
Capacity
513
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About St Benedict's Catholic High School
St Benedict's Catholic High School is significantly under capacity, with 513 pupils on roll against a school capacity of 1,194, which is a notable gap for a secondary in Warwickshire. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 30.1%, well above the national average and a clear signal that the school serves a community with higher-than-typical levels of disadvantage. Despite the spare physical capacity, demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 349 applications for 163 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.14, and made 160 offers to first-preference applicants. This suggests that while the school could theoretically take more pupils, its reputation or local catchment is driving significant competition for Year 7 places. The school is a mixed Roman Catholic secondary with a sixth form, and its headteacher is Claire Paddock. It sits in the Stratford-on-Avon borough, within the Warwickshire local authority.
Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2025 judged it Good overall, with leadership and management, sixth form provision, and behaviour and attitudes all rated Good. This marks a clear improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2014, when it was rated Requires Improvement. At Key Stage 4, the school's Progress 8 score is -0.29, which is below the Warwickshire local authority average of 0.02, and places it in the bottom 50 nationally. Its Attainment 8 score is 42.6, and the basics measure (grade 5 or above in English and maths) is 29.7%. The EBacc entry rate is low at 15.8%, and the EBacc average point score is 3.59. At A-level, the school's value-added score is -0.43, classed as below average, with an average points per entry of 28.34, equivalent to a C grade. The school ranks 10th out of 10 schools in the Stratford-on-Avon local authority area by Progress 8.
The school offers a range of facilities including a sixth form centre, chapel, art studios, music rooms, and an ICT suite. Sports on offer include netball, swimming, tennis, and athletics, while clubs range from gardening and choir to Model UN and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, visual impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses, based on 66 respondents, show 86% would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy (80%), feels safe (88%), and that the school has high expectations (79%). The school is oversubscribed, so families applying will need to be aware of the admissions criteria, likely prioritising Catholic faith. It may suit families seeking a faith-based secondary with a supportive pastoral environment, particularly those whose children have SEND needs, though the academic outcomes are below the local average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Kinwarton Road, Alcester, Stratford-on-Avon, B49 6PX |
| Headteacher | Claire Paddock |
| Local Authority | Warwickshire |
| Number of Pupils | 513 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 30.1% |
| School Capacity | 513 / 1,194 (43% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
4 Jun 2025Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (4 Jun 2025): Standards maintained
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 8 Oct 2014. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.29)
2217th of 3,141
Nationally
237th of 371
In West Midlands
10th of 10
In Stratford-on-Avon
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make 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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
33.7
'22/23
24.7
'23/24
28.3
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2343%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 185 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)43%
- FE college34%
- Apprenticeship10%
- Employment6%
- Not sustained4%
95% 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.
Where school leavers go
2022/2364%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 69 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
10%
Russell Group
13%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)64%
- Apprenticeship23%
- Employment10%
- Not sustained1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Sociology31
- History25
- Government and Politics17
- Mathematics16
- Biology12
- English Language11
- English Literature11
- Religious Studies11
- Art and Design10
- Geography10
- Chemistry8
- Design and Technology (Product Design)7
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Ofsted Parent View
66 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
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed163
349
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
160 families put this school as their 1st choice (46% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% 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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British90.8%
- Asian2.9%
- Mixed1.4%
- White (other)1.3%
- Black0.5%
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.
5
Total schools
5
Oversubscribed
2
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About St Benedict'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
Kinwarton Road, Alcester
Stratford-on-Avon, B49 6PX
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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