Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School

Brownedge St Mary’s Catholic High School continues to perform well, maintaining the standards set during its previous inspection. The school is characterized by a nurturing and inclusive environment where pupils feel valued and safe. Relationships between pupils and staff are defined by warmth and respect, which fosters a strong sense of community among students. The school has implemented a well-designed curriculum that supports the academic growth of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), facilitating their transition to further education successfully.

Strengths

• Pupils feel valued and safe in a supportive environment.
• The school has an inclusive ethos that is appreciated by students.
• There is a strong emphasis on personal development through extracurricular activities.
• Teachers are well-trained and generally deliver the curriculum effectively.
• Reading programs are effective in helping pupils build vocabulary and comprehension.
• The school promotes a culture of positive conduct and high expectations.

Areas for Improvement

• Some assessment strategies are not effective enough, leading to knowledge gaps.
• Teachers occasionally move on from concepts before ensuring all pupils have understood.

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 Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.7% 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, 3.3% of pupils at Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were 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 Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.2% 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, 11.1% of pupils at Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.1% 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 Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School received £8,057 and spent £7,704 for each of its 774 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £691,000 (£893 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

All schools in Preston · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School have?

Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School has 772 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School cover?

Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.4, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School?

Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School is at Station Road, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancashire, PR5 6PB.