St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy

St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy has demonstrated a solid overall performance, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspected areas. The school has successfully established a nurturing environment where pupils feel happy and safe, with a clear ethos of belonging and personal growth. Staff expectations are high, and pupils show enthusiasm and politeness, contributing positively to the school culture. Parental feedback is overwhelmingly positive, highlighting significant progress in their children's education since enrollment. Despite its strengths, the school is in its early stages of implementing new curriculum plans, which require further embedding across all classes. While assessment practices are sensible and effective in aiding pupil learning, some pupils, particularly those at early reading stages, face challenges in using phonics effectively to decode unfamiliar words, hindering their progress. Leadership and support systems are strong, and there is a clear commitment to improving the teaching methodologies as the school moves forward.

Strengths

• Strong ethos where pupils feel a sense of belonging.
• High staff expectations lead to enthusiastic learners.
• Effective behavior management system promotes politeness and respect.
• Good selection of reading materials for phonics and early reading.
• Well-planned and interesting activities enhance pupils' talents.
• Positive parental feedback about children's progress.
• Good understanding of diversity and equality among pupils.
• Strong leadership supports staff well-being and workload.

Areas for Improvement

• New curriculum plans need time to be fully embedded.
• Not all pupils use phonics effectively to decode unfamiliar words.

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 Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.6% of pupils at St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 12.5% of pupils at St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy received £7,243 and spent £7,647 for each of its 168 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £194,000 (-£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 Glossop · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

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

• St Margaret's Catholic Voluntary Academy Glossop
• St Philip Howard Catholic Voluntary Academy Glossop
• All Saints' Catholic Voluntary Academy Glossop
• St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy Glossop
• St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy Stockport
• St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy High Peak
• St Anne's Catholic Voluntary Academy Buxton
• St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy Buxton
• St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy Matlock
• Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy Alfreton

What is St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy have?

St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy has 168 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy cover?

St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy?

St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy is at The Carriage Drive, Hadfield, Glossop, Derbyshire, SK13 1PJ.