St Thomas � Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Secondary
PUPILS
756
AGES
11 - 16
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Academy converter
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING
Not Rated

Can I Get My Child Into This School?

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This pupil heat map shows where pupils currently attending the school live.
The concentration of pupils shows likelihood of admission based on distance criteria

Source: All attending pupils National School Census Data, ONS
01924 306 052

This School Guide heat map has been plotted using official pupil data taken from the last School Census collected by the Department for Education. It is a visualisation of where pupils lived at the time of the annual School Census.

Our heat maps use groups of postcodes, not individual postcodes, and have naturally soft edges. All pupils are included in the mapping (i.e. children with siblings already at the school, high priority pupils and selective and/or religious admissions) but we may have removed statistical ‘outliers’ with more remote postcodes that do not reflect majority admissions.

For some schools, the heat map may be a useful indicator of the catchment area but our heat maps are not the same as catchment area maps. Catchment area maps, published by the school or local authority, are based on geographical admissions criteria and show actual cut-off distances and pre-defined catchment areas for a single admission year.

This information is provided as a guide only. The criteria in which schools use to allocate places in the event that they are oversubscribed can and do vary between schools and over time. These criteria can include distance from the school and sometimes specific catchment areas but can also include, amongst others, priority for siblings, children of a particular faith or specific feeder schools. Living in an area where children have previously attended a school does not guarantee admission to the school in future years. Always check with the school’s own admission authority for the current admission arrangements.

3 steps to help parents gather catchment information for a school:

  1. Look at our school catchment area guide for more information on heat maps. They give a useful indicator of the general areas that admit pupils to the school. This visualisation is based on all attending pupils present at the time of the annual School Census.
  2. Use the link to the Local Authority Contact (above) to find catchment area information based on a single admission year. This is very important if you are considering applying to a school.
  3. On each school page, use the link to visit the school website and find information on individual school admissions criteria. Geographical criteria are only applied after pupils have been admitted on higher priority criteria such as Looked After Children, SEN, siblings, etc.

How Does The School Perform?

Good
NATIONAL AVG. 2.09
Ofsted Inspection
(29/03/2023)
Full Report - All Reports
56%
NATIONAL AVG. 38%
5+ GCSEs grade 9-4 (standard pass or above) including English and maths



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Progress Compared With All Other Schools

UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 15% of schools in England) Below Average (About 18% of schools in England) Average (About 35% of schools in England) Above Average (About 16% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 16% of schools in England)

School Results Over Time

2019 2022 2023 2020 Covid-19 2021 Covid-19 UNLOCK

% of pupils who achieved 5+ GCSEs grade 9-4
2019 2022 2023 2020 Covid-19 2021 Covid-19 UNLOCK

% of pupils who achieved GCSE grade 5 or above in both English and maths
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Barnsley Road
Sandal
Wakefield
WF2 6EQ
01924303545

School Description

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have a clear vision for the school, which is shared and understood by all members of the school community. There is a culture of care and compassion for pupils, combined with high aspirations. Since the previous inspection, leadership roles have been restructured, creating additional capacity and a drive for continued improvement. Middle leaders feel empowered to carry out their roles, and staff are encouraged to innovate to ensure a good-quality learning experience for pupils. As a result of leaders’ and governors’ self-evaluation of the strengths and areas for improvement, you are focusing on the right priorities to improve the school further. Senior and middle leaders demonstrate strong capacity to improve the school further. The vast majority of staff and pupils are proud of the school. Pupils are polite and welcoming and they wear their uniforms impeccably. The majority of parents are supportive of the school. One parent said, ‘The school is welcoming and a supportive community.’ Another parent commented that pupils learn in a ‘safe and caring’ environment. Pupils said that they feel safe in school and that they are well supported by staff. Pupils also told inspectors that they support each other through initiatives such as the anti-bullying council. Pupils talked very confidently about their roles as peer mentors. Twenty-two Year 11 pupils have been trained by the Samaritans to provide support for other pupils. The core school rules of ‘prepared, respect, safe’ are central to the school ethos. At the previous inspection, you were asked to accelerate the progress of disadvantaged and most-able pupils. You have set ambitious targets for all pupils. Systems to track pupils’ progress are rigorous and enable you and other leaders to intervene when pupils are at risk of underachieving. As a result, a greater proportion of most-able pupils are achieving the top grades at GCSE. Provisional results for 2017 show that most-able pupils made strong progress in their GCSE subjects. Disadvantaged pupils are making better progress in all year groups. Disadvantaged Year 11 pupils made improved progress in their GCSEs in 2017. This was most marked in English and the English Baccalaureate subjects. Despite these improvements, you still acknowledge that there is work to do to ensure that more pupils achieve the top GCSE grades by the end of Year 11. You have rightly identified, as a whole-school priority, the need for most-able disadvantaged boys to make accelerated progress. At the last inspection, careers education was identified as an area for improvement. Pupils now have access to a fully comprehensive careers programme so that they can make informed decisions about their future. Pupils talked positively about the range of advice and guidance they receive. This includes talks from colleges, advice about universities and apprenticeships, and opportunities to visit local businesses. You have also appointed a careers coordinator to ensure that pupils have access to the advice and guidance they need. As a result, over the last two years all pupils who left school are in employment, education or training. Safeguarding is effective. There is a strong culture of safeguarding throughout the school. As a result of weekly staff safeguarding briefings, staff are alert to local safeguarding issues. The safeguarding team has recently expanded, which has increased the capacity of the team to support pupils further. Leaders refer appropriately to external agencies to ensure that pupils and families receive support when needed. The safeguarding leader provides strong leadership. Staff are trained in safeguarding and are fully aware of the importance of their role in keeping pupils safe. Staff know how to refer any concerns, and leaders take prompt action when issues are raised. Pupils said that they feel safe and they talked positively about the support they receive from staff. Pupils also told inspectors that there is always a member of staff they can talk to if they are facing difficulties either in or outside school. Pupils talk positively about the support they receive from peer mentors and the anti-bullying council, a group of trained Year 10 pupils. Inspection findings Since the previous inspection, pupil outcomes and progress have remained good. Based on provisional outcomes for 2017, the number of pupils who achieved a ‘strong’ and ‘standard’ pass in English and mathematics is above the national average. The progress that pupils make in their GCSE examinations has remained above the national average for the last four years. The number of pupils who achieve the English Baccalaureate has also been above the national average in recent years. Pupils make particularly good progress in modern foreign languages and science. Disadvantaged pupils did not make as good progress as other pupils across their GCSE subjects in 2016. As a result of a well-thought-out strategy for improvement, they made better progress in 2017 in English, mathematics and the English Baccalaureate. Leaders and governors are aware that there is still work to do in order to accelerate the progress of disadvantaged most-able boys. In recent years, a higher proportion of pupils have achieved the top grades in their GCSEs. However, you acknowledge that in some subjects such as design and technology, music and Italian a greater proportion of pupils need to be challenged to achieve the top grades. The newly introduced assessment and feedback policy is encouraging pupils to think more deeply about their learning. Teachers quickly address misconceptions. Through the use of effective questioning and timely feedback, pupils are encouraged to refine and improve their work and to close gaps in their knowledge, understanding and skills. You told inspectors that a priority this year is to ensure that the new policy is implemented consistently across year groups and subjects. Leaders rigorously evaluate the impact of teaching and learning strategies and staff professional development. Through learning walks, analysis of current pupil progress and reviewing work in pupils’ books, leaders identify strong practice. Teachers are encouraged to collaborate and share ideas. As a result, the quality of teaching continues to improve. Pupils have very good attitudes towards learning. They are polite and respectful. Pupils told inspectors that learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. They appreciate the help and guidance they receive from their teachers. You recognise that exclusions increased last year. The new behaviour system, with a focus on rewards and making amends, has led to a reduction in exclusions so far this academic year. Most pupils are positive about the recently introduced ‘no mobile phone’ policy. Overall attendance is slightly above the national average. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils has improved. However, you have rightly identified this as an area for further improvement. As a result, you have increased the amount of time the educational welfare officer is employed so that there is additional support for pupils who have more variable attendance. Although the number of disadvantaged pupils who are persistently absent has reduced, this is a key priority in your plans for the use of funding that you receive to support disadvantaged pupils.

St Thomas � Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy Parent Reviews



unlock % Parents Recommend This School
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>52, "agree"=>34, "disagree"=>6, "strongly_disagree"=>7, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>58, "agree"=>31, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>4, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>41, "agree"=>46, "disagree"=>9, "strongly_disagree"=>3, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
My Child Has Not Been Bullied Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"my_child_has_not_been_bullied"=>59, "strongly_agree"=>11, "agree"=>10, "disagree"=>7, "strongly_disagree"=>7, "dont_know"=>6} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>26, "agree"=>41, "disagree"=>26, "strongly_disagree"=>4, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
I Have Not Raised Any Concerns Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"i_have_not_raised_any_concerns"=>25, "strongly_agree"=>33, "agree"=>21, "disagree"=>13, "strongly_disagree"=>6, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>43, "agree"=>19, "disagree"=>21, "strongly_disagree"=>12, "dont_know"=>5} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 31-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>48, "agree"=>36, "disagree"=>9, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>5} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>51, "agree"=>36, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>4, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>40, "agree"=>46, "disagree"=>9, "strongly_disagree"=>3, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>41, "agree"=>46, "disagree"=>9, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>52, "agree"=>38, "disagree"=>4, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>44, "agree"=>34, "disagree"=>11, "strongly_disagree"=>4, "dont_know"=>6} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023
Yes No {"yes"=>84, "no"=>16} UNLOCK Figures based on 140 responses up to 31-03-2023

Responses taken from Ofsted Parent View

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