St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy

St Francis Xavier School is a secondary comprehensive academy within the Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust and has a joint Roman Catholic and Church of England character. This was its first routine section 5 inspection since the pandemic and its first since becoming an academy, although the predecessor school had previously been judged outstanding. Inspectors found an exceptional school where pupils achieve very highly across the curriculum, including pupils with SEND, and are well prepared for their next steps. Pupils’ behaviour is consistently excellent, disruption is very rare, and pupils are mature and respectful. The school provides extensive enrichment, service and leadership opportunities that reflect its values, and attendance is strong. Leadership, governance and trust oversight are effective, staff are highly committed, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. No areas for improvement were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum, including those with SEND.
• Behaviour is consistently excellent, with very rare disruption to learning.
• Pupils are mature, respectful and understand difference in the world.
• Staff are subject experts who check understanding and adapt support effectively.
• Reading support and additional help enable pupils to catch up quickly.
• Attendance is strong and rates of absence are very low.
• An extensive enrichment programme includes educational visits and service opportunities.
• Careers advice and guidance prepare pupils well for education, employment or training.
• Governance and trust oversight provide effective support and challenge.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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 Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 7.5% 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, 4.0% of pupils at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy 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 Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy had 17.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.7% 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, 8.5% of pupils at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.9% 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 Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy received £8,211 and spent £8,393 for each of its 607 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £395,000 (£651 per pupil).

Across all 38 schools of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, income was £7,521 and spending £7,443 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 Richmond · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy is part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy Richmond
• Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy Northallerton
• St Therese of Lisieux Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Catholic Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• Christ The King Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Catholic Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• St Patrick's Catholic College, A Voluntary Catholic Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Catholic Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• All Saints Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy Thirsk
• St Clare's RC Primary School Middlesbrough
• St Gerard's RC Primary School Middlesbrough
• Trinity Catholic College Middlesbrough

What is St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy have?

St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy has 611 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy cover?

St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 54.4, and 60% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?

St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy is at Darlington Road, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 7DA.