St Thomas More Catholic High School
98%
Capacity
1,622
Pupils
1.6x
Demand
About St Thomas More Catholic High School
St Thomas More Catholic High School is a popular choice among North Tyneside families, and the numbers back that up. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 413 applications for 263 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.57. Of those, 267 families put it as their first preference, and 250 first-preference offers were made. That level of demand suggests a strong reputation among local parents, though the school does not publish a formal parent-view recommendation percentage. The school is a state-funded Roman Catholic secondary for mixed genders aged 11 to 18, with a current roll of 1,622 pupils, just shy of its 1,650 capacity. Headteacher David Watson leads a school that has held a Good rating from Ofsted since at least 2013, and its most recent graded inspection in May 2023 confirmed Good across all five categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision.
Academically, St Thomas More performs above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.21 means pupils achieve about a fifth of a grade more per subject than similar students nationally, and well above the North Tyneside LA average of -0.06. In the local authority, it ranks 4th out of 11 schools on this measure, and 28th out of 142 in the North East region. At GCSE, 65.6% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 43.6% reached grade 5 or above. The Attainment 8 score sits at 49.2, and the EBacc average point score is 4.4. In the sixth form, the school’s value-added score is -0.07, which is rated as Average, and students achieved an average of 33.32 points per entry, equivalent to a C+ grade. The best three A-levels averaged 34.47 points, also a C+.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including a swimming pool, chapel, sixth form centre, science labs, art studios, music rooms, tennis courts, and a library. Sports on offer include martial arts, swimming, athletics, netball, basketball, and cross country, while extracurricular clubs cover Model UN, debate, gardening, coding, science club, DofE, and Young Enterprise. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, and social, emotional and mental health support. With 24.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. It suits families who want a faith-based secondary with strong GCSE outcomes above the local average, a busy extracurricular programme, and a sixth form that maintains solid A-level results.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Lynn Road, North Shields, North Tyneside, NE29 8LF |
| Headteacher | David Watson |
| Local Authority | North Tyneside |
| Number of Pupils | 1,622 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 24.6% |
| School Capacity | 1,622 / 1,650 (98% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
17 May 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 10 Jul 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.21)
1055th of 3,141
Nationally
28th of 142
In North East
4th of 11
In North Tyneside
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make 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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
40.4
'22/23
36.4
'23/24
33.3
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
2022/2355%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 263 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)55%
- FE college34%
- Employment3%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Not sustained2%
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
2022/2365%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 134 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
31%
Russell Group
31%
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)65%
- Employment16%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Further education4%
- Not sustained4%
- 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- English Literature30
- Psychology29
- English Language25
- Biology21
- Geography20
- Religious Studies20
- History17
- Mathematics16
- Physics16
- Media/Film/Tv Studies13
- Chemistry12
- Art and Design (Fine Art)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
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed263
413
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
267 families put this school as their 1st choice (65% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% 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%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British81.7%
- Asian7.8%
- White (other)3.0%
- Mixed2.6%
- 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.
7
Total schools
7
Oversubscribed
5
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 Thomas More Catholic High 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
Lynn Road, North Shields
North Tyneside, NE29 8LF
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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