This schoolOther secondary schools in Staffordshire
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026Inspection history
- 22 May 2024Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Improving)
- 9 October 2012Graded inspection: Good · as Blessed William Howard Catholic School, URN 124455
Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades
About these grades
Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.
How hard is it to get a place?
DfE · Sept 2026 entry409 applications · 184 places offered · 208 named it first
FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.
- 2026 2.2; Staffordshire median median 1.8
- 2025 2.1; Staffordshire median median 1.9
- 2024 1.8; Staffordshire median median 1.7
- 2023 1.7; Staffordshire median median 1.7
- 2022 2.0; Staffordshire median median 1.8
- 2021 2.1; Staffordshire median median 1.7
- 2020 2.0; Staffordshire median median 1.8
- 2019 1.9; Staffordshire median median 1.7
- 2018 1.9; Staffordshire median median 1.8
- 2017 1.8; Staffordshire median median 1.7
- 2016 1.9; Staffordshire median median 1.8; as the previous school
- 2015 1.7; Staffordshire median median 1.6; as the previous school
- 2014 1.7; Staffordshire median median 1.7; as the previous school
- This school
- Staffordshire median
Dashed bars: as Blessed William Howard Catholic School (URN 124455), the previous school.
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council
How this is measured
Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.
| Entry | Places | Applications | Per place | First preferences | First-pref. ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 184 | 409 | 2.2 | 208 | 1.13 |
| Sep 2025 | 180 | 381 | 2.1 | 194 | 1.08 |
| Sep 2024 | 211 | 389 | 1.8 | 221 | 1.05 |
| Sep 2023 | 188 | 315 | 1.7 | 163 | 0.87 |
| Sep 2022 | 166 | 332 | 2.0 | 138 | 0.83 |
| Sep 2021 | 171 | 350 | 2.1 | 152 | 0.89 |
| Sep 2020 | 181 | 362 | 2.0 | 149 | 0.82 |
| Sep 2019 | 185 | 343 | 1.9 | 146 | 0.79 |
| Sep 2018 | 181 | 334 | 1.9 | 131 | 0.72 |
| Sep 2017 | 162 | 297 | 1.8 | 151 | 0.93 |
| Sep 2016 * | 148 | 283 | 1.9 | 128 | 0.86 |
| Sep 2015 * | 162 | 282 | 1.7 | 155 | 0.96 |
| Sep 2014 * | 162 | 270 | 1.7 | 149 | 0.92 |
How did pupils do at GCSE?
DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisionalEvery year as a table
| Year | Pupils | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths | 4+ Eng & maths | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (prov.) | 153 | 55.1 | 57% | 77% | – |
| 2024/25 | 164 | 52.0 | 52% | 75% | – |
| 2023/24 | 173 | 54.5 | 55% | 77% | +0.41 |
| 2022/23 | 151 | 53.5 | 56% | 74% | +0.57 |
Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.
Schools nearby
The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority
- Blessed William Howard Catholic SchoolThis schoolThis schoolRemains Good · improving20242.2applications per place 55.1Attainment 8
- 0.7 km · StaffordshireGraded · no overall grade20252.0applications per place 39.9Attainment 8
- 1.6 km · StaffordshireRequires significant improvement 20261.8applications per place 35.3Attainment 8
- 3.2 km · StaffordshireStandards maintained20241.8applications per place 44.7Attainment 8
- 3.6 km · StaffordshireRemains Good20232.1applications per place 42.1Attainment 8
- 3.8 km · StaffordshireStandards maintained20241.6applications per place 48.3Attainment 8
- 8.0 km · Staffordshire2026
- 8.8 km · Staffordshire202648.2Attainment 8
- 10.4 km · StaffordshireGraded · no overall grade2025
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
School details
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- URN · DfE number
- 142193 · 860/4607
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Capacity
- 1,065 pupils · 950 on roll
- Free school meals
- 22.7% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 March 2016
- Replaced
- Blessed William Howard Catholic School (URN 124455)
- Address
- Rowley Avenue, Stafford, ST17 9AB
- Local authority
- Staffordshire · Stafford
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources