St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
About St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy, sits within Bury local authority and ranks 4th out of 14 secondary schools in the area by Progress 8 score, placing it comfortably in the top third locally. Among its closest peers in the borough, it sits alongside Holy Cross College, The Derby High School, and Parrenthorn High School, all of which also achieve positive Progress 8 scores. The school is a Roman Catholic 11-16 mixed state secondary, led by headteacher Emma Keenan, and currently has 1,066 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,150. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in January 2025, judged the school as Good across all four graded categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This marks a notable improvement from its previous inspection in February 2023, when the school was rated Requires Improvement overall, with behaviour and attitudes and leadership and management both graded as Requires Improvement at that time.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 88 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
21 Jan 2025From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.
Source: Ofsted, 6 Mar 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
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Frequently Asked Questions About St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
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
School Admissions Timeline 2026/27
Key dates for primary, secondary and nursery applications