Classpot

St James' Catholic High School

Stockport, SK8 6PZSecondaryAges 11–16MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Feb 2022
Progress 8
+0.23
Above average
−20+2
Competition
1.1×
Oversubscribed
169 1st-choice / 151 places
Ranking
#999
of 3,141 nationally

About St James' Catholic High School

St James' Catholic High School in Stockport holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained consistently across its two most recent inspections, including an ungraded visit in 2022 that confirmed the school remains Good. The most telling academic metric is its Progress 8 score of 0.23, which is classified as above average nationally. This means that, on average, pupils at St James' achieve nearly a quarter of a grade more per subject than students with similar starting points across England. The school sits 6th out of 13 secondary schools in Stockport on this measure, comfortably ahead of the local authority average Progress 8 score of 0.07. Within the North West region, it ranks 102nd out of 445 schools, placing it in the top quarter. The school's Attainment 8 score sits at 52.9, and 58.9% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 76.6% achieving a grade 4 or above.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressSt James' Way, Cheadle, Stockport, SK8 6PZ
HeadteacherAnthony Pontifex
Local AuthorityStockport
Number of Pupils824
Free School Meals (FSM)14.4%
School Capacity824 / 825 (100% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, 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

24 Feb 2022
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Latest monitoring visit (24 Feb 2022): School remains Good

Source: Ofsted, 4 May 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

8
Sports HallTheatreSixth Form CentreICT SuiteLibraryArt StudiosTennis CourtsChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

16

Sports

BadmintonHockeySwimmingMartial ArtsFootballDanceBasketballRowingNetball

Clubs & Activities

Art ClubDebateDuke of EdinburghFilm ClubChessYoung EnterpriseNewspaper

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

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguagePhysicalLearning Difficulty

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

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:40 – 15:10

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About St James' Catholic High School

St James' Catholic 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.