St Patrick's RC High School

St Patrick’s RC High School is performing highly overall. Inspectors found that pupils achieve well, with attainment above national averages in English, mathematics and science, and that disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and pupils known to social care do particularly well compared with similar pupils nationally. Attendance is above national averages and behaviour is calm, kind and consistently managed; pupils feel safe and are well prepared for their next steps. The curriculum is broad, ambitious and well sequenced, and teaching is typically highly effective, including strong reading support and thoughtful adaptation for pupils with SEND. Inclusion is a defining feature: leaders identify needs early, use pupil premium funding purposefully, and provide tailored support including the Emerald Centre classroom for pupils with severe anxiety or prolonged absence. Leadership and governance are strong, with a clear values-driven direction, coherent professional learning and rigorous governor oversight. Personal development and well-being are also a significant strength, with a broad enrichment offer, strong relationships, sex and health education and careers education, and effective work to ensure disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils take part. The school is a Roman Catholic secondary with 928 pupils; proportions of pupils with education, health and care plans and SEN support are above average, while free school meal eligibility is below average. Safeguarding standards are met, and no areas of concern were identified in this inspection.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well, with attainment above national averages in English, mathematics and science.
• Disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and pupils known to social care achieve highly from their starting points.
• Attendance is above national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Behaviour is calm, kind and rooted in mutual respect, with rare use of internal exclusion.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and well sequenced across subjects.
• Teaching is typically highly effective, with strong subject knowledge and precise vocabulary instruction.
• Reading is prioritised, including phonics intervention and structured use of subject texts.
• Inclusion is a defining feature, with early identification and tailored support that maintains ambition.
• The Emerald Centre classroom provides a carefully tailored pathway for pupils with severe anxiety or prolonged absence.
• Leaders set a clear, values-driven direction and make decisions in pupils’ best interests.
• Professional learning is a major strength and is coherent and research-informed.
• Governors fulfil their duties rigorously and know the school well.
• Personal development is strong, with a broad enrichment offer and effective RSHE and careers education.
• The school ensures disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils are well represented in extra-curricular opportunities.
• Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils feel safe.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Patrick's RC High School attended 93.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 4.5% of pupils at St Patrick's RC High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Patrick's RC High School had 14.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.0% of pupils at St Patrick's RC High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 St Patrick's RC High School received £9,499 and spent £9,778 for each of its 915 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £360,000 (£393 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is St Patrick's RC High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Patrick's RC High School is Strong standard, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was St Patrick's RC High School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Patrick's RC High School was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does St Patrick's RC High School have?

St Patrick's RC High School has 912 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Patrick's RC High School cover?

St Patrick's RC High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are St Patrick's RC High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 53.3, and 56% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is St Patrick's RC High School?

St Patrick's RC High School is at 56 New Lane, Eccles, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M30 7JJ.