Saint Michael's Catholic High School

Saint Michael’s Catholic High School is an inclusive 11–18 Catholic comprehensive in the Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2014. Pupils are proud of their school, behave maturely and kindly, feel safe, and benefit from a wide range of clubs, visits and personal development opportunities. The sixth form is particularly strong, with students following academic and vocational qualifications, receiving effective pastoral care and careers guidance, achieving well and supporting younger pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud of their inclusive community and support one another
• Behaviour and attitudes are highly positive, with pupils showing maturity and courtesy
• Personal development is comprehensive and prepares pupils well for modern Britain
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and sequenced so knowledge builds over time
• Teachers typically use strong subject knowledge and questioning to explain concepts clearly
• Pupils with SEND are identified and supported effectively, including timely reading support
• Sixth-form students achieve well and are very well prepared for their next steps
• Leaders have made decisive improvements to the school day, curriculum and teaching expectations
• Attendance rates are high because the school works closely with pupils and families
• Staff feel supported with their workload and well-being
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not check pupils’ understanding effectively before moving on to new learning
• Inconsistent checking means some pupils’ misconceptions go unaddressed and affect their secure understanding and progress
• Some areas of the curriculum do not yet ensure all pupils learn as well as they could

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 Michael's Catholic High School attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.1% 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, 4.3% of pupils at Saint Michael's Catholic High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 Michael's Catholic High School had 19.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.4% 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, 11.0% of pupils at Saint Michael's Catholic High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.8% 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 Michael's Catholic High School received £7,968 and spent £7,725 for each of its 1,122 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £724,000 (£645 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust, income was £7,471 and spending £7,253 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 Watford · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

Saint Michael's Catholic High School is part of The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School Watford
• Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School St Albans
• The Douay Martyrs Catholic School Uxbridge
• St Bernadette Catholic Primary School Uxbridge
• The Holy Family Catholic Primary School Welwyn Garden City
• Saint Claudine's Catholic School for Girls London
• St Margaret Clitherow Roman Catholic Primary School Stevenage
• St Mark's Catholic School Hounslow
• Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School Stevenage
• The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School Stevenage

What is Saint Michael's Catholic High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Saint Michael's Catholic High School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Saint Michael's Catholic High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Saint Michael's Catholic High School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Saint Michael's Catholic High School have?

Saint Michael's Catholic High School has 1,130 pupils on roll.

What age range does Saint Michael's Catholic High School cover?

Saint Michael's Catholic High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Saint Michael's Catholic High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.8, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Saint Michael's Catholic High School?

Saint Michael's Catholic High School is at High Elms Lane, Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 0SS.