Schools by area › Manchester › Saint Paul's Catholic High School
Saint Paul's Catholic High School
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Academy
Firbank Road, Newall Green, Manchester M23 2YS · st-paulshigh.net · 0161 499 0000
Overview
- Ofsted
- Report card
- Jul 2026 · graded by area, with no overall grade
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 33.3
- average Attainment 8 score. Manchester 44.8, England 46
- Demand for places
- 1.8
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 933
- 33 over 900 places · 104%
- Local authority
- Manchester
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 53.7%
- First language not English
- 18.2%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 300 families put the school first and 165 places were offered; 52% 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 | 165 | 300 | 1.8▲ | 52% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 169 | 295 | 1.7▲ | 54% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 165 | 270 | 1.6▲ | 58% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 169 | 209 | 1.2▲ | 75% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 190 | 167 | 0.9 | 98% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 33.3, and 25.7% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Manchester it was 44.8, and across England 46.
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▼33.3 | 46.0 | ||
| ▼25.7% | 45.4% | ||
| ▼46.7% | 64.8% | ||
| ▼15.0% | 40.5% | ||
| ▼2.61 | 4.09 |
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 1.7 | +0.1 |
| Sixth form college | 23.1 | −5.3 |
| Further education | 44.5 | −0.3 |
| Other education | 0.6 | +0.1 |
| Apprenticeship | 2.9 | +1.3 |
| Employment | 2.9 | −3.1 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 15 | +2.4 |
| Activity not captured | 9.2 | +4.8 |
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected Saint Paul's Catholic High School on 14 July 2026 and published a report card: each area has its own grade, and there is no overall grade.
- Inclusion: Expected standard
- Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention
- Achievement: Needs attention
- Attendance and behaviour: Expected standard
- Personal development and well-being: Expected standard
- Leadership and governance: Expected standard
- Inspected
- 14 Jul 2026
- Report card
- Safeguarding
- Met
Graded areas
| Inclusion | Expected standard |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention |
| Achievement | Needs attention |
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard |
| Personal development and well-being | Expected standard |
| Leadership and governance | Expected standard |
Previously: Good, graded inspection, Jun 2022
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Jun 2022Good
Quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Safeguarding Effective - Mar 2021Monitoring visitEffective action
- Jan 2020Monitoring visitEffective action
Before September 2019
Dec 2018Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Leadership and management Good Safeguarding Effective May 2016Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective Jan 2015Inadequate
Outcomes for pupils Inadequate Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate Leadership and management Requires improvement
What parents said
75% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (16 replies, to 2 April 2023).
- Recommend
- 75%
- Replies
- 16
- 2% · 2 Apr 2023
based on the 81% who raised concerns
based on the 37% who had a child bullied