St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy

St Gabriel's RC High School has demonstrated a solid performance in its first inspection, achieving a 'Good' rating in all areas. The school is recognized for creating a welcoming environment where pupils feel happy and secure, fostering good relationships between students and staff. There is a strong focus on curriculum development with an emphasis on high expectations for student achievement, particularly for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Extra-curricular activities are well-supported, adding to the overall positive school experience for students.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and happy at school.
• Strong leadership with clear ambitions for pupil achievement.
• Well-designed curriculum that meets diverse student needs.
• Effective support systems for pupils with SEND.
• Teachers are knowledgeable and use assessment strategies effectively.
• A variety of extra-curricular opportunities available to pupils.
• Effective safeguarding measures in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Underdeveloped approach to supporting pupils struggling with reading in key stage 4.
• Attendance issues among specific groups of pupils.

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 Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy attended 91.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.2% 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, 8.0% of pupils at St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy had 18.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.9% 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 St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy 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 Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy received £8,075 and spent £7,806 for each of its 1,055 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,200,000 (£1,138 per pupil).

Across all 22 schools of St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust, income was £6,697 and spending £6,817 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 Bury · Bury local authority: places and applications

St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is part of St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 27 schools. The nearest others:

• St. Marie's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Bury
• Guardian Angels Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Bury
• St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Bury
• Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bury
• St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Manchester
• St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester
• Our Lady & St Paul's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Heywood
• St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Manchester
• St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Rochdale, a Voluntary Academy Heywood
• St Teresa's RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy Bolton

What is St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy have?

St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy has 1,027 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy cover?

St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.2, and 23% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?

St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is at Bridge Road, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 0TZ.