Stuart Bathurst Catholic High School

About Stuart Bathurst Catholic High School

Stuart Bathurst Catholic High School’s Progress 8 score of -0.2 places it slightly below the Sandwell local authority average of -0.14, meaning that, on the whole, pupils here make a little less academic progress from Key Stage 2 to GCSE than their peers across the borough. That said, the school’s Progress 8 banding is still classed as ‘Average’, and it ranks 11th out of 19 secondary schools in Sandwell, putting it just above the middle of the pack. The picture is nuanced: progress in maths (-0.09) and English (-0.11) is close to the national baseline, while the open element of the Progress 8 measure (-0.13) is also relatively modest. The bigger drag comes from the EBacc subjects, where progress is -0.42, and only 7.5% of pupils entered the EBacc combination at all. With 42.2% of students eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage, which makes these results worth reading in context.

At GCSE, 63.9% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, and 42.9% reached the stronger grade 5 benchmark. The Attainment 8 score of 43.6 equates to just under a grade 4 per subject on average, while the EBacc average point score sits at 3.51. In the sixth form, the picture is more mixed: the school’s value added score of -0.48 is rated ‘Below average’, with students achieving an average of a C grade per entry (31.55 points). The best three A-levels average out at a C+, and only 3.3% of entries were at AAB or higher. Ofsted visited in April 2024 and rated the school Good across the board — a significant turnaround from its previous Inadequate rating in 2018, when leadership and management were also judged Inadequate. The current inspection found behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and sixth-form provision all Good.

The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 271 applications for 112 places, with 85 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.42, so it’s a popular choice locally. Facilities are strong for a state school, including a swimming pool, theatre, chapel, astro turf, and a dedicated sixth form centre. There are extensive SEND provisions covering dyslexia, autism, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities, among others. The co-curricular offer includes the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model UN, orchestra, and a range of sports from rugby to dance. This is a school that has clearly turned a corner under headteacher Helen Duffield, and while its academic outcomes sit around the LA average, its strong pastoral and facilities offer may appeal to Catholic families in Sandwell looking for a stable, inclusive secondary with a genuine sixth form.

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