The McAuley Catholic High School

The McAuley Catholic High School has made significant improvements since its previous inspection, now rated as good overall. The school has effective pastoral systems, a broad curriculum, and students achieve well in external examinations. The headteacher, James Tucker, started in September 2023, and under his leadership, the school continues to implement changes that enhance the learning experience. Students benefit from strong support in both academic and personal development, particularly through the well-regarded sixth-form provision.

Strengths

• Strong pastoral support for students
• Effective management of behaviour leading to a calm learning environment
• Broad curriculum that prepares students well for GCSEs
• Strong sixth-form provision with a diverse range of subjects
• Engagement in extra-curricular activities by pupils, including disadvantaged students
• Well-developed systems to support pupils learning to read
• Good understanding of the needs of pupils with SEND

Areas for Improvement

• Some lessons do not consistently match work to curriculum aims and pupils' prior knowledge
• Missed opportunities to adapt the curriculum to address gaps in pupils' knowledge
• Inconsistent implementation of improvement initiatives

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 The McAuley Catholic High School attended 91.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.6% 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, 15.0% of pupils at The McAuley Catholic High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 The McAuley Catholic High School had 16.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.6% 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, 12.9% of pupils at The McAuley Catholic High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.2% 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 The McAuley Catholic High School received £7,786 and spent £7,792 for each of its 1,456 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £4,000 (£3 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of St Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,455 and spending £7,395 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 Doncaster · Doncaster local authority: places and applications

The McAuley Catholic High School is part of St Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• St Peter's Catholic Primary School Doncaster
• Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Voluntary Academy Doncaster
• St Joseph's School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy Doncaster
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School Doncaster
• St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Doncaster
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School (Maltby) Rotherham
• St Gerard's Catholic Primary School Rotherham
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Sheffield
• Saint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in Humanities Rotherham
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School Rotherham

What is The McAuley Catholic High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The McAuley Catholic High School is Good, from an inspection in February 2024.

When was The McAuley Catholic High School last inspected by Ofsted?

The McAuley Catholic High School was last inspected in February 2024.

How many pupils does The McAuley Catholic High School have?

The McAuley Catholic High School has 1,431 pupils on roll.

What age range does The McAuley Catholic High School cover?

The McAuley Catholic High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The McAuley Catholic High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.9, and 36% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The McAuley Catholic High School?

The McAuley Catholic High School is at Cantley Lane, Cantley, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN3 3QF.