Schools by area › Wakefield › St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy
St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Academy
Barnsley Road, Wakefield WF2 6EQ · st-thomasabecket.bkcat.co.uk · 01924 303545
Overview
- Ofsted
- Good
- 2019 framework · inspected Mar 2023
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 46.3
- average Attainment 8 score. Wakefield 45.1, England 46
- Demand for places
- 1.5
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 762
- 12 over 750 places · 102%
- Local authority
- Wakefield
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 29.6%
- First language not English
- 36.9%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 201 families put the school first and 137 places were offered; 62% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Year 7 | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 137 | 201 | 1.5▲ | 62% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 143 | 178 | 1.2▲ | 76% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 144 | 144 | 1 | 92% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 141 | 146 | 1▲ | 90% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 124 | 115 | 0.9 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 46.3, and 45.3% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Wakefield it was 45.1, and across England 46.
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ●46.3 | 46.0 | ||
| ●45.3% | 45.4% | ||
| ●65.5% | 64.8% | ||
| ▲56.8% | 40.5% | ||
| ▲4.32 | 4.09 |
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 3.4 | −0.1 |
| Sixth form college | 44.8 | +4.9 |
| Further education | 42.1 | +0.8 |
| Employment | 0.7 | −2.1 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 4.8 | −2.2 |
| Activity not captured | 4.1 | +2 |
Ofsted
St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy was judged Good at its last graded inspection, on 29 March 2023, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Good
- Inspected
- 29 Mar 2023
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
Previously: Good, graded inspection, May 2014
Earlier inspections
Before September 2019
Nov 2017Monitoring visit
Safeguarding Effective May 2014Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good May 2012Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Good
What parents said
84% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (141 replies, to 1 January 2024).
- Recommend
- 84%
- Replies
- 141
- 19% · 1 Jan 2024
based on the 75% who raised concerns
based on the 40% who had a child bullied
based on 42 parents (30%) with SEND