St John Plessington Catholic College

St John Plessington Catholic College has been judged as 'Good' in this recent inspection, reflecting a significant improvement since its last outstanding rating. The school provides a high-quality education, with robust support for pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Despite improvements in behavior and learning, some weaknesses persist, particularly regarding older pupils' behavior and instruction discrepancies across a few subjects. The leaders are actively addressing these concerns, focusing on developing a more respectful school culture and ensuring consistent teaching practices.

Strengths

• High-quality education for all pupils and students
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• Positive attitude towards learning in the sixth form
• Ambitious curriculum designed to build knowledge effectively
• Strong leadership and management contribute to academic success
• Comprehensive personal development curriculum prepares pupils for modern life
• Effective safeguarding measures ensure student safety

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in addressing misconceptions in a few subjects
• Some older pupils do not behave as expected, disrupting learning

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 St John Plessington Catholic College attended 89.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.2% 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, 7.6% of pupils at St John Plessington Catholic College 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 St John Plessington Catholic College had 15.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.4% 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, 9.8% of pupils at St John Plessington Catholic College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.7% 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 St John Plessington Catholic College received £8,855 and spent £9,082 for each of its 1,548 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £967,000 (£625 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £8,250 and spending £8,645 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 Wirral · Wirral local authority: places and applications

St John Plessington Catholic College is part of Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Birkenhead Prenton
• St Alban's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Wallasey
• Our Lady of Pity Catholic Primary and Nursery School Wirral
• St Mary's Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy Wallasey
• SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Wallasey
• St Bernard's Roman Catholic Primary & Nursery School Ellesmere Port
• St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Runcorn
• Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Warrington

What is St John Plessington Catholic College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St John Plessington Catholic College is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was St John Plessington Catholic College last inspected by Ofsted?

St John Plessington Catholic College was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does St John Plessington Catholic College have?

St John Plessington Catholic College has 1,556 pupils on roll.

What age range does St John Plessington Catholic College cover?

St John Plessington Catholic College for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are St John Plessington Catholic College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.4, and 32% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is St John Plessington Catholic College?

St John Plessington Catholic College is at Old Chester Road, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, CH63 7LF.