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St Cecilia's RC High School

Ribble Valley, PR3 2XASecondaryAges 11–16MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
4 Good
Jan 2025
Progress 8
+0.12
Above average
−20+2
Competition
1.1×
Oversubscribed
135 1st-choice / 120 places
Ranking
#1,270
of 3,141 nationally

About St Cecilia's RC High School

St Cecilia's RC High School sits within the Lancashire local authority, a mixed 11-16 state secondary in the Ribble Valley area. When ranked by Progress 8 among all state secondaries in Lancashire, it places 26th out of 90 schools. In the more immediate Ribble Valley district, it ranks 4th out of 6 schools. The top-performing peers in the wider Lancashire area are Preston Muslim Girls High School, Eden Boys' School, Preston, and Holy Cross Catholic High School, all of which post significantly higher Progress 8 scores. St Cecilia's is a Roman Catholic school with a capacity of 485 but currently houses 570 pupils, making it oversubscribed. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 297 applications for 120 places, with 135 of those as first preferences and 104 offers made to first-preference applicants. The school has a higher-than-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 29.6%, well above the national average.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressChapel Hill, Preston, Ribble Valley, PR3 2XA
HeadteacherHelen Hall
Local AuthorityLancashire
Number of Pupils570
Free School Meals (FSM)29.6%
School Capacity570 / 485 (118% full)

The full report on this school

What 87 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

7 Jan 2025
View Report
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Good

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 27 Jan 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

7
ICT SuiteGymnasiumMusic RoomsPlaying FieldsSixth Form CentreTennis CourtsChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

14

Sports

CricketSwimmingDanceNetballRugbyAthleticsGymnasticsBasketballCross Country

Clubs & Activities

ChoirFilm ClubYoung EnterpriseScience ClubDebate

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:15

Breakfast club

08:25-08:45

Source: st-cecilias.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Cecilia's RC High School

St Cecilia's RC High School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.