St Thomas More Catholic School, Blaydon
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 11-18 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Croftdale Road Blaydon-on-Tyne Tyne and Wear NE21 4BQ |
| Phone | 01914990111 |
| Reference Number | 137851 |
St Thomas More Catholic School is performing well, rated as good in all inspected areas including the quality of education, behaviour, personal development, leadership, and sixth-form provision. Leaders have established a supportive environment that fosters high aspirations among pupils, who exhibit strong behaviour in a calm learning atmosphere. There is notable support for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), showcasing the school’s commitment to inclusivity. However, the school's first routine inspection since before the pandemic indicates areas needing attention, particularly around assessment practices and consistency in behaviour management among staff.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1400 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 48.86%
Girls: 51.14% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 17.4% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 8.9% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 23.2 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 122 | 124 | 246 |
| 8 | 102 | 135 | 237 |
| 9 | 120 | 116 | 236 |
| 10 | 133 | 104 | 237 |
| 11 | 103 | 127 | 230 |
| 12 | 52 | 47 | 99 |
| 13 | 52 | 63 | 115 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 85.1% |
| White, Other | 3.3% |
| African | 2.3% |
| Mixed, Other | 2.1% |
| White & Asian | 1.3% |
| Indian | 1.2% |
| Asian, Other | 0.9% |
| Chinese | 0.6% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.6% |
| Pakistani | 0.6% |
| Irish | 0.3% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.1% |
| Caribbean | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| > Sixth Form Provision | Good |
| Last Report Date | 01 Mar 2023 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 30 Sep 2025 | Monitoring visit |
| 01 Mar 2023 | School inspection: |
| 09 Oct 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 10 Aug 2012 | Academy conversion letter |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Interim assessment |
| Previously as St Thomas More Catholic School | |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Interim assessment |
| 09 Mar 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 09 Mar 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 13 Feb 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 13 Feb 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 03 Mar 2003 | Full inspection |
| 03 Mar 2003 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Strong support for pupils with SEND.
- High ambitions set by leaders for all pupils.
- Calm and orderly environment with good pupil behaviour.
- Broad and inclusive curriculum that builds knowledge over time.
- Effective strategies employed to improve attendance.
- Wide range of extra-curricular opportunities provided.
- Strong pastoral support with a solid house system.
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistencies in assessment practices in some subjects.
- Variability in behaviour management approaches by teachers.
- Lack of alignment in personal development curriculum between Year 11 and sixth form.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 51.9 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 60.4% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 74.8% |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Sample
UnlockPoints
| Points | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Points | 35.02 | ||
| Average Points (best 3) | 36.09 |
Grades
| School | Local | Nationwide | |
| Average Grade | B- | C+ | C+ |
| Average Grade (best 3) | B- | C+ | C+ |
| Percentage | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students getting AAB or better | 13.3% |
Unlock Premium
Get percentile rankings, historic result charts, admissions data, and post-GCSE destinations for every school.
£9.99 one-off payment. Lifetime access, no subscription.
Unlock for £9.992025 Admissions
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 184 | 18 |
| Third Preference | 107 | 3 |
| From another Local Authority | 99 | 58 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blaydon
Croftdale Road, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE21 4BG |
0.1 miles |
|
Blaydon West Primary School
Blaydon Bank, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE21 4PY |
0.33 miles |
|
St Mary & St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Blaydon
Stella Lane, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE21 4NE |
0.73 miles |
|
Parkhead Community Primary School
Park Lane, Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE21 6LT |
0.74 miles |
|
West Lane Primary School
West Lane, Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE21 6PH |
0.79 miles |
|
St George's Catholic Primary School, Bells Close
Bell's Close, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 6XX |
1.12 miles |
|
Crookhill Community Primary School
Hexham Old Road, Ryton, Tyne and Wear, NE40 3ES |
1.16 miles |
|
Lemington Riverside Primary School
Rokeby Street, Lemington, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 8RR |
1.18 miles |
|
Waverley Primary School
Maple Close, Lemington, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 7QZ |
1.39 miles |
|
Broadwood Primary School
Broadwood Road, Denton Burn, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 7TB |
1.7 miles |
|
St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Newcastle
Whickham View, Denton Burn, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 7HP |
1.81 miles |
|
Newburn Manor Primary School
Millfield Lane, Newburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 8PD |
1.83 miles |
|
Newburn Manor Nursery School
Townfield Gardens, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE15 8PY |
1.85 miles |
|
Front Street Community Primary School
North View, Whickham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE16 4AY |
1.87 miles |
|
Swalwell Primary School
South View Terrace, Swalwell, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE16 3HZ |
1.93 miles |
|
Fellside Community Primary School
Fellside Road, Whickham, Fellside Community Primary School, Fellside Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE16 5AY |
1.98 miles |
|
Bridgewater Primary School
Bridgewater, Delaval Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 6NL |
2.04 miles |
|
West Denton Primary School
Hillhead Road, West Denton, West Denton Primary School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE5 1DN |
2.17 miles |
|
Whickham Parochial Church of England Primary School
Broadway, Whickham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE16 5QW |
2.18 miles |
|
Walbottle Village Primary School
The Green, Walbottle Village, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 8JL |
2.21 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Excelsior Academy
Denton Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 6AF |
1.57 miles |
|
Whickham School
Burnthouse Lane, Whickham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE16 5AR |
2.06 miles |
|
Thorp Academy
Main Road, Ryton, Tyne and Wear, NE40 3AH |
2.22 miles |
|
St Cuthbert's High School
Gretna Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 7PX |
2.23 miles |
|
Studio West
West Denton Way, West Denton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE5 2SZ |
2.46 miles |
|
Talbot House Children's Charity
Hexham Road, Walbottle, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 8HW |
2.49 miles |
|
Walbottle Academy
Hexham Road, Walbottle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 9TP |
2.56 miles |
|
Thomas Bewick School
Linhope Road, West Denton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE5 2LW |
2.59 miles |
|
Trinity Solutions Academy
Condercum Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE4 8XJ |
2.64 miles |
|
Trinity Academy Newcastle
Condercum Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE4 8XJ |
2.67 miles |
|
Kingsmeadow Community School
Market Lane, Dunston, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE11 9NX |
2.83 miles |
|
Sacred Heart Catholic High School
Fenham Hall Drive, Fenham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE4 9YH |
2.91 miles |
|
Dame Allan's Schools
Fowberry Crescent, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE4 9YJ |
3.12 miles |
|
Bahr Academy
72 Sceptre Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE4 6PR |
3.3 miles |
|
Callerton Academy
Bedeburn Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE5 4JQ |
3.41 miles |
|
Emmanuel College
Consett Road, Lobley Hill, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE11 0AN |
3.56 miles |
|
NCG
Rye Hill Campus, Scotswood Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE4 7SA |
3.79 miles |
|
Kenton School
Drayton Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE3 3RU |
3.96 miles |
|
North East Futures UTC
Stephenson Square, Stephenson Quarter, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1 3AS |
4.23 miles |
|
Westfield School
Oakfield Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE3 4HS |
4.55 miles |