St Cuthbert's Catholic High School
95%
Capacity
876
Pupils
1.8x
Demand
About St Cuthbert's Catholic High School
St Cuthbert's Catholic High School is a mixed 11-16 state secondary in St. Helens, serving 876 pupils under headteacher Stuart Holland. It sits within a local authority where the average Progress 8 score is -0.31, and the school's own score of -1.11 places it ninth out of nine same-type schools in the borough. The top-performing local peers are Carmel College (Progress 8 of 0.38), Rainford High School (0.03), and St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy (-0.05). St Cuthbert's is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 293 applications for 161 places, with 158 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.82. This demand is notable given the school's ranking, and may reflect its Catholic character or its position as one of only a handful of faith-based secondaries in the area. The school has a Roman Catholic religious character, and its facilities include a chapel alongside more typical amenities like a sports hall, swimming pool, and astro turf.
Academically, St Cuthbert's outcomes are well below average. Its Progress 8 score of -1.11 is banded as 'Well below average', meaning pupils achieve roughly one grade less per subject than peers with similar starting points. The Attainment 8 score is 34.1, compared with the national average of around 46.5. Only 26.8% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics95 measure), and just 2.8% entered the EBacc. The EBacc average point score is 2.73. In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2016, the school was rated Good overall, with Good leadership and management. An ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. This is a significant improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2014, when it was rated Requires Improvement. The school does not have a sixth form, so pupils must move on after Year 11.
St Cuthbert's offers a broad range of facilities including art studios, science labs, an ICT suite, tennis courts, and a gymnasium. Sports provision covers football, swimming, hockey, rugby, athletics, martial arts, and basketball, while extracurricular clubs include debate, gardening, science club, book club, Young Enterprise, choir, and a newspaper club. The school has a strong SEND offer, with provisions for specific learning difficulties (including dyslexia), moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. With 47.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a significantly disadvantaged intake. This context may help explain the low Progress 8 score, though it remains below the LA average. The school suits families seeking a Catholic secondary in St. Helens who value a wide range of facilities and SEND support, but who are aware that academic outcomes are currently well below local and national benchmarks.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Berrys Lane, St Helens, St. Helens, WA9 3HE |
| Headteacher | Stuart Holland |
| Local Authority | St. Helens |
| Number of Pupils | 876 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 47.3% |
| School Capacity | 876 / 920 (95% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
6 Jul 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (6 Jul 2022): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 13 Oct 2016. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-1.11)
3055th of 3,141
Nationally
426th of 445
In North West
9th of 9
In St. Helens
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
2022/231%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 173 pupils).
- FE college61%
- Sixth form college12%
- Not sustained11%
- Employment10%
- Apprenticeship5%
- School sixth form (stay)1%
88% 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
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed161
293
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
158 families put this school as their 1st choice (54% 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
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British87.6%
- White (other)5.1%
- Mixed1.9%
- Asian1.2%
- Black0.9%
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.
7
Total schools
7
Oversubscribed
6
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 Cuthbert'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
Berrys Lane, St Helens
St. Helens, WA9 3HE
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