Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy

Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy continues to be a good school with a strong emphasis on student well-being and development. Pupils feel safe and are well supported, notably with those having special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school’s pastoral care is appreciated by parents, who highlight the staff's commitment to their children's overall development. Moreover, extracurricular opportunities and a robust personal development programme contribute positively to the pupils' experience and learning environment.

Strengths

• Pupils receive excellent pastoral and academic support.
• High level of support for pupils with SEND.
• Strong emphasis on personal development through diverse programs.
• Good behavior management leads to a calm learning environment.
• Effective governance provides support and challenge.
• Sixth-form students actively contribute to school life.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding during lessons.
• Quality of the sixth form provision is variable, leading to uneven outcomes.
• The alternative pathway curriculum is not yet consistently ambitious.

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 Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.0% 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, 7.6% of pupils at Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy had 17.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.3% 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, 18.0% of pupils at Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 7 pupils.

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 Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy received £8,223 and spent £8,727 for each of its 1,508 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £1,744,000 (-£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 Derby · Derby local authority: places and applications

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

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

What is Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy have?

Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy has 1,465 pupils on roll.

What age range does Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy cover?

Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.4, and 44% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy?

Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Duffield Road, Darley Abbey, Derby, Derbyshire, DE22 1JD.