Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy

Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy is performing well, maintaining the standards identified during its previous inspection and fostering a supportive community for its pupils. The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum that prepares students for future challenges, with pupils expressing pride in their education and enjoying positive relationships with staff. Character development is emphasized through various leadership opportunities and extracurricular activities, contributing to a well-rounded student experience.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and proud to be part of the school community.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious, exceeding national expectations.
• Teachers employ effective strategies for teaching and learning.
• Strong focus on character development through 'CARED FOR' virtues.
• High expectations are set for pupil achievement.
• Good support systems are in place for pupils needing extra help.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistency in the delivery of the curriculum affects student achievement.
• Some staff do not consistently apply behaviour routines and expectations.

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 Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy attended 90.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.2% 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, 10.3% of pupils at Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy 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 Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 11.8% of pupils at Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.5% 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 2024–25 Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy received £8,204 and spent £8,149 for each of its 679 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £785,000 (-£1,156 per pupil).

Across all 25 schools of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,472 and spending £7,889 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Ilkeston · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy is part of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 25 schools. The nearest others:

• St Thomas Catholic Voluntary Academy Ilkeston
• The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy Nottingham
• English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy Nottingham
• St Alban's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St Elizabeth's Catholic Voluntary Academy Belper
• St George's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby

What is Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy have?

Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy has 625 pupils on roll.

What age range does Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy cover?

Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.4, and 38% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy?

Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Abbot Road, Kirk Hallam, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 4HX.