St Peter's Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre
91%
Capacity
1,534
Pupils
3.3x
Demand
About St Peter's Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre
St Peter's Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre earned a Good rating in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement in 2017. The school's Progress 8 score sits at -0.09, which is below the Gloucestershire local authority average of 0.19, though the banding is classified as 'Average' nationally. This means pupils overall make slightly less progress than peers across the country, but the gap is modest. Within Gloucester, the school ranks 8th out of 9 schools on this measure, placing it in the bottom half locally. However, the Attainment 8 score of 45.1 tells a more nuanced story: 66.8% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, while 46.2% reached the higher grade 5 threshold. The EBacc average points score of 3.83 reflects a curriculum that covers the full range of academic subjects, though only 14.7% of pupils entered the EBacc suite.
At sixth form, the picture is more mixed. The school's value-added score of -0.3 is rated 'Below average', meaning A-level students make less progress than similar students nationally. The average points per entry of 27.2 equates to a grade profile around C-, and only 3.1% of students achieved AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects. With 123 students in the sixth form cohort, it is a sizeable provision but one where academic outcomes lag behind the strongest local competitors. The school's Progress 8 score in the open bucket (-0.25) and for EBacc subjects (0.04) suggests that performance varies by subject area, with EBacc entries actually showing slightly positive progress. Parents should note that the school is heavily oversubscribed: for 226 places in 2025/26, there were 737 total applications, with 276 first-preference applications and 200 first-preference offers made.
St Peter's is a Roman Catholic secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18, with a current roll of 1,534 against a capacity of 1,685. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 24.3%, above the national average. Facilities are strong and include a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, gymnasium, tennis courts, and a chapel. The school offers a wide range of sports from badminton to rowing, plus clubs including DofE, Young Enterprise, and orchestra. SEND provision covers nine categories, including dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and speech, language and communication needs. For families prioritising a faith-based environment with good facilities and a clear improvement trajectory from Ofsted, St Peter's is a solid option, though those seeking the highest academic outcomes may want to consider the grammar schools nearby, such as The Crypt School just 1.3 km away.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Stroud Road, Gloucester, Gloucester, GL4 0DD |
| Headteacher | Kevin McDermott |
| Local Authority | Gloucestershire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,534 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 24.3% |
| School Capacity | 1,534 / 1,685 (91% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
18 Jan 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 9 Mar 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.09)
1747th of 3,141
Nationally
173rd of 306
In South West
8th of 9
In Gloucester
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
30.2
'22/23
28.6
'23/24
27.2
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2358%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 234 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)58%
- FE college27%
- Sixth form college4%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Employment4%
- Not sustained3%
97% 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.
Where school leavers go
2022/2338%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 138 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
15%
Russell Group
17%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
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)38%
- Employment38%
- Apprenticeship9%
- Not sustained6%
- Further education4%
- Other education1%
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.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Sociology29
- History24
- Psychology20
- Economics19
- Biology16
- Government and Politics15
- Geography13
- Art and Design (Fine Art)11
- Chemistry11
- English Literature11
- Art and Design (3d Studies)10
- Art and Design (Photography)10
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
13Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
15Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed226
737
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
276 families put this school as their 1st choice (37% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
09:00 – 15:30
Source: stpetershighschool.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% 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 British45.6%
- Asian13.4%
- White (other)12.1%
- Mixed11.7%
- Black2.0%
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
2024/2575% 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.
7
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
4
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 Peter's Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre
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
Stroud Road, Gloucester
Gloucester, GL4 0DD
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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