SecondaryState · Voluntary aided school

St James' Catholic High School

St James' Way, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 6PZ ·

Report card: strong areas· 2026Roman Catholic

At a glance

A state Roman Catholic secondary school for ages 11–16 in Cheadle. Ofsted report card (April 2026): strong areas. GCSE results are above the England average (Attainment 8: 51.1 vs 46.1, 2024/25). Oversubscribed: 165 families put it first for 155 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages: 11–16
Pupils: 824
Gender: Mixed
Sixth form: No
Admissions: Non-selective
Local authority: Stockport
Headteacher: Mr Anthony Pontifex

School website 01614826900 Explore the area

Inspection

Ofsted report card (renewed framework)

Read reports

Inspected 28 Apr 2026Published 21 Jun 2026

SafeguardingMet
InclusionExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
AchievementExpected standard
Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
Personal development and well-beingStrong standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard

Report cards grade each area separately on a five-point scale, from Urgent improvement to Exceptional. There is no single overall grade, and results are not directly comparable with earlier grades such as “Good”.

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 165 pupils

Attainment 8

51.1

England 46.1

Grade 5+ Eng & maths

46.1%

England 45.4%

Grade 4+ Eng & maths

72.7%

England 64.8%

Progress 8

+0.23

2023/24 · CI 0.01 to 0.46

This school

51.1

Stockport

47.1

England

46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

Search for your address on the map to see straight-line distances to schools.

Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made

155

1st preferences

165

All applications

663

1st prefs per place

1.06

More first choices than places

133 of 165 first-preference applicants were offered a place (81%). 18 offers went to families living in another council area.

Oversubscribed with first preferences

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils

824

Capacity

825

100% full

Girls / boys

52/48

Mixed

Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)15.3%
English as an additional language10.4%
SEN support7.7%
Education, Health and Care plan3%
The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.