The McAuley Catholic High School
84%
Capacity
1,445
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About The McAuley Catholic High School
The McAuley Catholic High School is a mixed, state secondary in Doncaster, serving 1,445 pupils aged 11 to 18. It sits in the middle of the local authority’s rankings for Progress 8, placing 10th out of 20 schools of the same type. The top-performing peers in Doncaster are The Hayfield School, Hall Cross Academy, and Don Valley Academy, all of which post higher Progress 8 scores. McAuley’s own Progress 8 score of -0.06 is just below the Doncaster average of -0.04, placing it in the bottom 50% nationally. The school is Roman Catholic and led by headteacher James Tucker. It is significantly oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 382 applications for 179 places, with 141 first-preference offers made. That oversubscription ratio of 2.13 suggests strong local demand, despite the middling academic ranking.
In its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2023, McAuley was rated Good across all categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This marked a clear improvement from its previous inspection in February 2020, when the school was rated Requires Improvement overall. At Key Stage 4, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 45.6, and 63.9% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is low at 9.1%, and only 5.7% of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 4 or above. At A-level, the school’s value-added score is -0.02, classed as Average, with pupils achieving an average grade of C per entry and 29.56 points per entry. The sixth form is rated Good, and 11.1% of entries achieved grades AAB or higher. These results are broadly in line with the local authority average, though the school’s Progress 8 score is slightly below it.
McAuley offers a wide range of facilities, including a sports hall, swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, a theatre, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include netball, rowing, martial arts, and gymnastics, while clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to Young Enterprise and an orchestra. The school has a chapel and is designated as having a Roman Catholic religious character. Its SEND provisions cover eight areas, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. With 29% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake. It is a good fit for Catholic families in Doncaster who want a large, oversubscribed school with improving Ofsted grades and a broad extracurricular offer, but who are comfortable with academic results that sit around the local average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Cantley Lane, Cantley, Doncaster, Doncaster, DN3 3QF |
| Headteacher | James Tucker |
| Local Authority | Doncaster |
| Number of Pupils | 1,445 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 29.0% |
| School Capacity | 1,445 / 1,730 (84% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
5 Dec 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 7 Feb 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.06)
1662nd of 3,141
Nationally
147th of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
10th of 20
In Doncaster
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
33.3
'22/23
33.3
'23/24
29.6
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
2022/2354%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 272 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)54%
- FE college21%
- Sixth form college10%
- Apprenticeship8%
- Not sustained3%
- Employment2%
96% 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
2022/2367%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 112 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
23%
Russell Group
25%
Top-third HE
2%
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)67%
- Employment19%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Not sustained4%
- Other education2%
- Further 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- Mathematics29
- Biology26
- Geography19
- Chemistry17
- Physics16
- English Language15
- Sociology14
- English Literature13
- Economics11
- Drama and Theatre Studies10
- Psychology9
- Design and Technology (Product Design)7
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
14Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed179
382
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
141 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
08:20 – 14:15
Source: mcauley.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British54.0%
- White (other)13.0%
- Asian9.8%
- Mixed5.6%
- Black1.0%
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.
4
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
3
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 The McAuley 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
Cantley Lane, Cantley, Doncaster
Doncaster, DN3 3QF
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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