St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Barnsley Road Wakefield WF2 6EQ |
| Phone | 01924303545 |
| Reference Number | 138950 |
St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School is performing well overall, achieving a good rating across all areas inspected. Leaders display a strong commitment to improving the educational experience for all pupils, actively addressing potential barriers to learning. Notably, the school has developed a coherent curriculum and strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Pupils report feeling nurtured and valued within a positive and caring school environment, which is evident in their polite behavior and pride in the school community. There is a strong emphasis on safeguarding and a wide array of extracurricular opportunities for students.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 763 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 50.46%
Girls: 49.54% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 26.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 32.5% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 23.5 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 80 | 75 | 155 |
| 8 | 77 | 79 | 156 |
| 9 | 85 | 68 | 153 |
| 10 | 73 | 74 | 147 |
| 11 | 70 | 82 | 152 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 43.3% |
| White, Other | 10.4% |
| Pakistani | 9.7% |
| African | 7.9% |
| Mixed, Other | 6.8% |
| Unclassified | 6.7% |
| Indian | 6.3% |
| White & Black (African) | 1.4% |
| Asian, Other | 1% |
| White & Asian | 0.8% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.4% |
| Chinese | 0.3% |
| Irish | 0.3% |
| Caribbean | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| Last Report Date | 29 Mar 2023 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 29 Mar 2023 | School inspection: |
| 01 Nov 2017 | Short inspection |
| 07 May 2014 | Full inspection: |
| 02 Nov 2012 | Academy conversion letter |
| 29 May 2012 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as St Thomas A Becket Catholic College Specialist Status In Humanities: With Autism Resource | |
| 29 May 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Interim assessment |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Interim assessment |
| 28 Jan 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 28 Jan 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 08 May 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 08 May 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 19 May 2003 | Full inspection |
| 19 May 2003 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Leaders are ambitious and care for pupils.
- Curriculum is coherent and well considered.
- Strong support for pupils with SEND.
- Pupils behave well and are polite.
- Effective arrangements for safeguarding.
- Active student leadership group involved in school matters.
- Robust pastoral support for pupils.
- Wide range of extracurricular activities offered.
Areas for Improvement
- Some teaching activities do not effectively support learning objectives.
- Insufficient time for pupils to practice new skills.
- Inconsistent communication of behavior expectations in certain areas.
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) |
|---|---|---|
| 46.3 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 45.3% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 63.5% |
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
UnlockUnlock 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 | 121 | 6 |
| Third Preference | 59 | 1 |
| From another Local Authority | 18 | 11 |
Previous Years
Sample
Unlock| Name | Distance |
|
The Castle Nursery School
255A Barnsley Road, Wakefield, WF1 5NU |
0.35 miles |
|
Sandal Castle VA Community Primary School
Barnsley Road, Wakefield, WF2 6AS |
0.36 miles |
|
Sandal Magna Community Academy
Belle Vue Road, Agbrigg, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 5NF |
0.37 miles |
|
Methodist Voluntary Controlled Junior, Infant and Nursery School: With Communication Resource
Field Lane, Wakefield, WF2 7RU |
0.88 miles |
|
Walton Primary Academy
The Grove, Walton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 6LD |
1.2 miles |
|
Wakefield St Marys Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Charles Street, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 4PE |
1.37 miles |
|
The Mount Junior Infant & Nursery School
The Mount, Thornes Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 8QW |
1.57 miles |
|
Wakefield Lawefield Primary School
Lawefield Lane, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 8ST |
1.64 miles |
|
Hendal Primary School
Hendal Lane, Wakefield, WF2 7QW |
1.64 miles |
|
Outwood Primary Academy Greenhill
Greenhill Road, Eastmoor, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 4LU |
1.73 miles |
|
Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill
Irwin Crescent, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 4QY |
1.82 miles |
|
St Austin's Catholic Primary School
Back Duke of York Street, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 3PF |
1.88 miles |
|
Wakefield Pinders Primary (JIN) School
Eastmoor Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 3SQ |
1.93 miles |
|
Shay Lane Primary (J and I) School
Shay Lane, Crofton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 1NN |
2 miles |
|
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy
Durkar Lane, Wakefield, WF4 3HY |
2.01 miles |
|
Wakefield Grammar Pre-Preparatory School
Margaret Street, Wakefield, WF1 2DG |
2.06 miles |
|
Crigglestone Nursery School
High Street, Wakefield, WF4 3EB |
2.06 miles |
|
Wakefield St Johns Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior and Infant School
Belgravia Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 3JP |
2.24 miles |
|
St Michael's CofE Academy
Flanshaw Lane, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 9JA |
2.25 miles |
|
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Dewsbury Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 9DD |
2.28 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Kettlethorpe High School
Kettlethorpe Hall Drive, Standbridge Lane, Sandal, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 7EL |
1.15 miles |
|
Trinity Academy Cathedral
Thornes Road, Wakefield, WF2 8QF |
1.46 miles |
|
CAPA College
Mulberry Way, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 2QN |
1.63 miles |
|
Outwood Academy City Fields
Warmfield View, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 4SF |
1.92 miles |
|
Wakefield Girls' High School
Wentworth Street, Wakefield, WF1 2QS |
1.98 miles |
|
Heart of Yorkshire Education Group
Margaret Street, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 2DH |
2 miles |
|
Ivy Lane School
Ivy Lane School, Ivy Lane, Wakefield, WF1 4AZ |
2.03 miles |
|
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School
154 Northgate, Wakefield, WF1 3QX |
2.04 miles |
|
Crofton Academy
High Street, Crofton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 1NF |
2.23 miles |
|
Meadowcroft School
24 Bar Lane, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 4AD |
2.45 miles |
|
Horbury Academy
Wakefield Road, Horbury, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 5HE |
2.62 miles |
|
Silcoates School
Silcoates Lane, West Yorkshire, WF2 0PD |
3.03 miles |
|
Hall Cliffe School
Dovecote Lane, Horbury, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 6BB |
3.05 miles |
|
Outwood Grange Academy
Potovens Lane, Outwood, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 2PF |
3.47 miles |
|
Outwood Academy Freeston
Favell Avenue, Normanton, WF6 1HZ |
3.74 miles |
|
Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College
Storrs Hill Road, Ossett, West Yorkshire, WF5 0DG |
3.9 miles |
|
Highfield School
Gawthorpe Lane, Ossett, West Yorkshire, WF5 9BS |
4.78 miles |
|
Denby Grange School
Off Stocksmoor Rd, Midgley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 4JG |
4.86 miles |
|
Rodillian Academy
Longthorpe Lane, Lofthouse, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF3 3PS |
4.87 miles |