St Gregory's Catholic High School
111%
Capacity
1,205
Pupils
3.3x
Demand
About St Gregory's Catholic High School
St Gregory's Catholic High School is a mixed, Roman Catholic secondary for 11 to 16 year olds in Warrington, a local authority where it ranks 4th out of 13 schools on Progress 8. That puts it ahead of most of its peers, though it sits behind the top three in the area: Lymm High School, King's Leadership Academy Warrington, and Bridgewater High School. The school is significantly oversubscribed, receiving 535 applications for 162 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, with 118 first-preference offers made. It has a sixth form, though the school's official age range stops at 16, and it operates as a state-funded academy. The headteacher is Edward McGlinchey. The school serves a community where 20.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and it currently holds a Good Ofsted rating following its most recent graded inspection in October 2024.
Academically, St Gregory's performs well above the Warrington average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.17 means pupils achieve nearly a fifth of a grade more per subject than similar students nationally, compared with the local authority average of -0.29. Attainment 8 sits at 46.1, and 70% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, with 42.2% reaching grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 4.03, and 38.7% of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects. In the sixth form, the average A-level grade per entry is a C, with a points-per-entry score of 31.45 and a value added score of -0.04, which is rated as Average. The school's Ofsted inspection judged all key areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — as Good, with the sixth form also rated Good. Previously, the school was rated Outstanding in 2013.
The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, chapel, astro turf, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include netball, rugby, cricket, rowing, and martial arts, while clubs range from gardening and choir to Model UN and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs, with a resourced provision available. Parent View responses from 128 parents in the 2024/25 period show strong satisfaction: 86% would recommend the school, 92% agree or strongly agree their child is happy, and 93% feel their child is safe. However, only 68% agree that SEND children receive the support they need, and 67% said bullying was not applicable to their child, making it hard to gauge that area. This is a solid, well-regarded Catholic school for families who want strong academic progress and a broad range of activities, but oversubscription means early application is essential.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Cromwell Avenue, Warrington, Warrington, WA5 1HG |
| Headteacher | Edward McGlinchey |
| Local Authority | Warrington |
| Number of Pupils | 1,205 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 20.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,205 / 1,082 (111% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
15 Oct 2024Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 25 Nov 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.17)
1150th of 3,141
Nationally
116th of 445
In North West
4th of 13
In Warrington
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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
35.8
'22/23
31.3
'23/24
31.4
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
2022/2368%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 211 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)68%
- FE college18%
- Employment5%
- Not sustained3%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Sixth form college1%
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
2022/2355%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 123 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
15%
Russell Group
20%
Top-third HE
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)55%
- Employment30%
- Not sustained9%
- Further education2%
- Other education1%
- Apprenticeship1%
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- Business Studies:Single34
- Biology20
- History19
- Religious Studies16
- English Language15
- Psychology15
- Physical Education / Sports Studies14
- Mathematics13
- Chemistry12
- English Literature12
- Art and Design (Photography)11
- Mathematics (Statistics)8
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
128 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed162
535
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
118 families put this school as their 1st choice (22% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:35 – 15:00
Source: stgregoryshigh.com. 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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British66.8%
- White (other)9.3%
- Mixed6.9%
- Asian6.5%
- Black0.3%
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.
9
Total schools
8
Oversubscribed
8
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 Gregory'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
Cromwell Avenue, Warrington
Warrington, WA5 1HG
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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