St Katherine's School
100%
Capacity
998
Pupils
2.3x
Demand
About St Katherine's School
St Katherine's School in North Somerset is a mixed state secondary for ages 11 to 18, and it is a school in high demand. With 998 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,001, it is essentially full. The oversubscription picture is striking: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 423 applications for 184 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.3. Of those, 167 were first-preference applications, and 150 first-preference offers were made, meaning a significant number of families who put it top still missed out. The school's intake reflects a higher-than-average level of disadvantage: 23.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with a national average of around 23% for secondary schools, placing it above the typical state school in this metric. This is a comprehensive that draws from a broad catchment and is clearly popular locally, despite not being the highest-ranked school in the local authority.
Academically, St Katherine's sits in the middle of the pack. Its Progress 8 score of -0.07 is slightly below the national average of 0, but it is also marginally below the North Somerset local authority average of -0.04. This places the school 7th out of 10 schools in the LA on this measure, and in the bottom 50% nationally. The Attainment 8 score is 48, and 45.6% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is 24.3%, with 12.4% achieving the EBacc at grade 5 or above. In the sixth form, the picture is more mixed: the value-added score is -0.38, rated 'Below average', with an average point score per entry of 30.74 (a C grade). The best three A-levels average out at a B-. Ofsted visited in December 2021 and upgraded the school from 'Requires improvement' to 'Good' across all categories, including behaviour, personal development, and leadership. That inspection noted the sixth form provision as Good too.
The school offers a solid range of facilities, including a swimming pool, astro turf, theatre, and a sixth form centre. Sports provision is broad, with rowing, martial arts, and rugby among the options, and there is a decent selection of clubs including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Model UN, and Young Enterprise. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists six SEND provisions, covering areas such as autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. The school is non-denominational and does not have a nursery. Given its strong oversubscription, families living close to the school or with a clear feeder pattern will need to be strategic about their application. St Katherine's is best suited to families who want a large, fully comprehensive secondary with a good Ofsted rating and a broad extracurricular offer, but who are realistic about its academic results being around the local average rather than outstanding.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Pill Road, Bristol, North Somerset, BS20 0HU |
| Headteacher | Justin Humphreys |
| Local Authority | North Somerset |
| Number of Pupils | 998 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 23.2% |
| School Capacity | 998 / 1,001 (100% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
8 Dec 2021Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 17 Feb 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.07)
1709th of 3,141
Nationally
166th of 306
In South West
7th of 10
In North Somerset
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
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
35.2
'22/23
29.6
'23/24
30.7
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where school leavers go
2022/2353%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 40 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
21%
Russell Group
26%
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)53%
- Employment18%
- Not sustained13%
- Apprenticeship8%
- Further education5%
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.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed184
423
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
167 families put this school as their 1st choice (39% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
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 British79.4%
- Mixed7.5%
- White (other)5.1%
- Asian3.1%
- Black0.2%
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.
3
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
2
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 Katherine's 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
Pill Road, Bristol
North Somerset, BS20 0HU
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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