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St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy

Wakefield, WF2 6EQSecondaryAges 11–16MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Mar 2023
Progress 8
+0.29
Above average
−20+2
Competition
1.2×
Oversubscribed
178 1st-choice / 143 places
Ranking
#864
of 3,141 nationally

About St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy

St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School sits within the Wakefield local authority, where it ranks 4th out of 18 state secondary schools by Progress 8 score. That puts it comfortably in the top quarter of its local peers, though it sits behind three higher-performing schools: Castleford Academy, Trinity Academy Cathedral, and Horbury Academy. The school is a Roman Catholic voluntary academy for pupils aged 11 to 16, with no sixth form, and is currently oversubscribed — for 2025/26 entry it received 423 applications for 143 places, with 136 offers going to first-preference families. Its oversubscription ratio of nearly 3 to 1 suggests strong local demand. The school is led by headteacher Patrick Caldwell and has a capacity of 750, with 763 pupils currently on roll, meaning it is operating slightly above its official capacity. Around 26.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average and gives some context to the school's intake.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressBarnsley Road, Wakefield, Wakefield, WF2 6EQ
HeadteacherPatrick Caldwell
Local AuthorityWakefield
Number of Pupils763
Free School Meals (FSM)26.5%
School Capacity763 / 750 (102% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

29 Mar 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Source: Ofsted, 24 May 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

9
Sports HallICT SuiteGymnasiumSwimming PoolArt StudiosPlaying FieldsMusic RoomsAstro TurfChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

19

Sports

RoundersNetballSwimmingFootballRugbyBasketballGymnasticsAthleticsTennis

Clubs & Activities

DramaChoirGardeningModel United NationsFilm ClubBook ClubOrchestraDebateScience ClubCoding

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

Resourced Provision
AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionResourced ProvisionMulti-SensoryOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy

St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.