Bishop Walsh Catholic School

Bishop Walsh Catholic School has maintained its standards since the previous inspection and continues to be a source of pride for its community. The school is known for its high expectations of pupil behavior, fostering a caring and supportive environment. Lessons are engaging, with pupils making the most of feedback and actively participating in their learning. Extracurricular activities enrich the student experience, contributing to high levels of achievement and preparation for future education stages. However, the performance of disadvantaged pupils indicates areas for improvement, particularly in academic outcomes and attendance compared to their peers.

Strengths

• Strong and inclusive ethos promoting kindness and community
• Effective curriculum development resulting in ambitious learning pathways
• High-quality support for pupils with SEND leading to good academic and social outcomes
• Successful pastoral care and mentoring program boosting confidence and resilience
• Well-structured character development program encouraging social responsibility
• High levels of participation in extracurricular activities

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of the curriculum across subjects
• Disparities in academic achievement for disadvantaged pupils
• Attendance of disadvantaged pupils not improving at the same rate as others

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 Bishop Walsh Catholic School attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.5% 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, 3.1% of pupils at Bishop Walsh Catholic School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Bishop Walsh Catholic School had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.3% 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, 13.1% of pupils at Bishop Walsh Catholic School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.1% 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 Bishop Walsh Catholic School received £6,915 and spent £7,016 for each of its 1,082 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £409,000 (-£378 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of St. John Paul Ii Multi Academy Company, income was £7,187 and spending £7,072 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 Sutton Coldfield · Birmingham local authority: places and applications

Bishop Walsh Catholic School is part of St. John Paul Ii Multi Academy Company, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Holy Cross Catholic Primary School Sutton Coldfield
• St Nicholas Catholic Primary School Sutton Coldfield
• St Edmund Campion Catholic School Birmingham
• Abbey Catholic Primary School Birmingham
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Sutton Coldfield
• St Peter and St Paul RC Junior and Infant School Birmingham
• SS Mary & John Catholic Primary School Birmingham
• Maryvale Catholic Primary School Birmingham
• Sacred Heart Catholic School Birmingham
• Blessed Dominic Barberi Catholic Primary School Birmingham

What is Bishop Walsh Catholic School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bishop Walsh Catholic School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Bishop Walsh Catholic School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bishop Walsh Catholic School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Bishop Walsh Catholic School have?

Bishop Walsh Catholic School has 1,076 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bishop Walsh Catholic School cover?

Bishop Walsh Catholic School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Bishop Walsh Catholic School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 54.8, and 58% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Bishop Walsh Catholic School?

Bishop Walsh Catholic School is at Wylde Green Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1QT.