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St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy

High Peak, SK17 6AFSecondaryAges 11–16MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
4 Good
Jun 2025
Progress 8
-0.51
Well below average
−20+2
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
50 1st-choice / 50 places
Ranking
#2,619
of 3,141 nationally

About St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy

St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy in High Peak is a secondary school for 11 to 16 year olds that currently has 419 pupils on roll against a capacity of 450, so it is running close to full but with a small amount of headroom. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 30. 3%, which is significantly above the national average and signals that the school serves a community with higher-than-typical levels of disadvantage. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 126 applications for just 50 places, with exactly 50 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2. 52. That level of competition suggests local families see it as a viable option despite the challenges its intake profile presents. As a Roman Catholic voluntary academy, it draws from a faith-based catchment, though its religious character is just one factor in its appeal.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressPalace Fields, Buxton, High Peak, SK17 6AF
HeadteacherDavid Redfern
Local AuthorityDerbyshire
Number of Pupils419
Free School Meals (FSM)30.3%
School Capacity419 / 450 (93% full)

The full report on this school

What 113 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 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

3 Jun 2025
View Report
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 8 Jul 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

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

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:50 – 15:10

Source: stthomasmorebuxton.srscmat.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy

St Thomas More Catholic 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.