St Oscar Romero Catholic School
90%
Capacity
1,075
Pupils
3.5x
Demand
About St Oscar Romero Catholic School
St Oscar Romero Catholic School’s Progress 8 score of 0.89 is a striking outlier compared with the West Sussex local authority average of 0.03 for secondary schools. That gap is enormous — the school is adding nearly nine-tenths of a grade more per subject per pupil than the typical school in the county. In fact, it ranks first out of the six secondary schools in Worthing, and sits in the top five per cent nationally. The school is also well above average on the Progress 8 banding, and its Attainment 8 score of 54.1 reflects strong overall GCSE performance. With 83.2 per cent of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 57.8 per cent achieving a grade 5 or above, the school comfortably outperforms most of its local peers. The closest competitor in the LA, St Philip Howard Catholic School, has a Progress 8 score of 0.68 — still strong, but well behind St Oscar Romero.
The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, awarded Outstanding across every category judged: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. This is a clear upgrade from its previous Good rating in 2015. The inspection report noted that pupils are happy and feel safe, which aligns with the Parent View data: 89 per cent of the 337 respondents would recommend the school, and 84 per cent strongly agreed that the school has high expectations for their child. In terms of academic breadth, 56.2 per cent of pupils entered the EBacc, and the school’s EBacc average point score of 4.85 is well above the national average. The sixth form also received Outstanding, and the school has a dedicated Sixth Form Centre. Progress in English (0.61) and maths (0.82) are both strong, with the EBacc element showing the highest progress at 1.01.
St Oscar Romero is a Roman Catholic secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18, with a current roll of 1,075 against a capacity of 1,200. It is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 624 applications for 178 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.51, and 239 of those were first-preference applications. The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, chapel, and astro turf, plus clubs such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model UN, and coding. Its SEND provisions cover nine areas, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 13.5 per cent. This is a school for families who value high academic expectations, a Catholic ethos, and a strong sense of community — but given the competition for places, early application is essential.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Goring Street, Worthing, Worthing, BN12 5AF |
| Headteacher | Peter Byrne |
| Local Authority | West Sussex |
| Number of Pupils | 1,075 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 13.5% |
| School Capacity | 1,075 / 1,200 (90% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
29 Apr 2025Quality of Education
Outstanding
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 29 May 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.89)
128th of 3,141
Nationally
16th of 461
In South East
1st of 6
In Worthing
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly 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
2022/232%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 127 pupils).
- FE college65%
- Sixth form college19%
- Employment6%
- Not sustained6%
- School sixth form (stay)2%
- Apprenticeship2%
94% 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.
Ofsted Parent View
337 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: 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
2025/26Oversubscribed178
624
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
239 families put this school as their 1st choice (38% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:00
After-school care
15:00-16:00
Source: stromeros.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%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British79.2%
- Mixed6.9%
- White (other)5.6%
- Asian4.4%
- Black0.5%
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
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than half of schools in England.
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.
7
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
6
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About St Oscar Romero Catholic 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
Goring Street, Worthing
Worthing, BN12 5AF
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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