St James' Catholic High School
100%
Capacity
824
Pupils
4.3x
Demand
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.
Digging deeper into the Progress 8 breakdown, the school shows particular strength in maths, where the score reaches 0.34, while English and the EBacc subjects both sit at 0.23 and 0.18 respectively. The EBacc average point score is 4.71, and 44.9% of pupils entered the full EBacc combination, with 21.5% achieving a grade 5 or above in it. The school's confidence interval for Progress 8 ranges from 0.01 to 0.46, meaning the true figure is very likely positive. St James' is a Roman Catholic 11-16 mixed secondary with 824 pupils on roll, almost exactly at its capacity of 825. It is heavily oversubscribed: for 151 places in the 2025/26 intake, there were 643 applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.26, and 169 families put it as their first preference, of whom 121 received offers.
Facilities include a sports hall, theatre, chapel, art studios, tennis courts and an ICT suite, and the school offers a wide range of sports from rowing to martial arts, plus clubs such as Debate, DofE, Young Enterprise and Chess. SEND provision covers six areas, including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Speech, Language & Communication, and Social, Emotional & Mental Health needs. The school has no sixth form or nursery. For families prioritising strong academic progress in a faith-based setting, St James' delivers results well above the local average, and its popularity in admissions reflects that reputation. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Cheadle Hulme High School, 0.9 km away, but St James' own consistent Good rating and above-average progress make it a strong contender in its own right.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | St James' Way, Cheadle, Stockport, SK8 6PZ |
| Headteacher | Anthony Pontifex |
| Local Authority | Stockport |
| Number of Pupils | 824 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 14.4% |
| School Capacity | 824 / 825 (100% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
24 Feb 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (24 Feb 2022): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 4 May 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.23)
999th of 3,141
Nationally
102nd of 445
In North West
6th of 13
In Stockport
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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/234%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 160 pupils).
- Sixth form college64%
- FE college20%
- Apprenticeship5%
- School sixth form (stay)4%
- Not sustained4%
- Employment3%
96% 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
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed151
643
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
169 families put this school as their 1st choice (26% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:10
Source: stjamescheadle.co.uk. 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 British76.2%
- Asian6.9%
- Mixed5.4%
- White (other)4.4%
- Black1.0%
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
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half 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.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this 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
6
Oversubscribed
7
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 James' 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
St James' Way, Cheadle
Stockport, SK8 6PZ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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