School profile

The St Thomas the Apostle College

Secondary · Voluntary aided school · London, SE15 2EB

Outstanding

Map showing The St Thomas the Apostle College

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#217 of 3,312

Better than 93% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#292 of 2,536

Better than 88% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

The St Thomas the Apostle College Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 20 Nov 2018

Ofsted rating
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Sixth form provision
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeVoluntary aided school
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,140
GenderBoys
Religious characterRoman Catholic
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Eamon Connolly
Local authoritySouthwark
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 100857.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolSouthwarkEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.61.8, better than England, better than Southwark51.446.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.87.3%, better than England, better than Southwark73.6%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.73.9%, better than England, better than Southwark55.1%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.30.6%, better than England, better than Southwark19.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths87.3%, better than England, better than Southwark69.7%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4157--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolSouthwarkEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.42.16, better than England, better than Southwark38.7935
Average A-level gradeB+--
Average points, best three A-levels42.62, better than England, better than Southwark39.3535.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsB+--
AAB or better29.9%, better than England, better than Southwark21.1%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.0.08, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study141--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist+--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,140
Girls108
Boys1,032
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.45.5%
First language not English30%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.860
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
Sixth form places2024/25100
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.124
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.32
Average class size19.6

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

African
59.1%
Caribbean
9%
Other mixed
6.6%
Other ethnic group
6.6%
White British
4.8%
Other Black
3.9%
Other White
3.6%
Chinese
1.1%
White and Black African
0.9%
Other Asian
0.9%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher13
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.8
Teachers (FTE)87.39
Teaching assistants (FTE)4
Support staff (FTE)19.57
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2577.3
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2558.5
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/257
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/2511.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.150
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.499
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.181
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.117
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)164

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolSouthwarkEngland
Overall absence4.8%, better than England, better than Southwark6.6%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.10.8%, better than England, better than Southwark18.1%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.5%, better than England, better than Southwark1.8%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate20.9%
Pupils with one or more suspensions10.7%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.96.3%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.95%
School sixth form60.9%
Sixth form college29.2%
Further education5%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.1.9%
Apprenticeship1.2%
Employment0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.91.7%
Higher education77.8%
Employment8.3%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.9%
Apprenticeship4.2%
Further education0.7%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near The St Thomas the Apostle College
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryHollydale Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryJohn Donne Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miPrimaryEdmund Waller Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.4 miPrimaryKender Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.5 miNurseryNell Gwynn Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
0.5 miPrimaryRye Oak Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryHarris Primary Academy Peckham ParkAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miSecondaryHaberdashers' Hatcham CollegeAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.6 miPrimaryHaberdashers' Hatcham Free SchoolFree schools
Outstanding
0.6 miPrimaryBellenden Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about The St Thomas the Apostle College

What is The St Thomas the Apostle College's Ofsted rating?

The St Thomas the Apostle College is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, last inspected on 20 Nov 2018.

How does The St Thomas the Apostle College rank in England?

The St Thomas the Apostle College ranks 217 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 93% of schools) and 292 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (better than 88% of schools).

What are The St Thomas the Apostle College's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 73.9% of pupils at The St Thomas the Apostle College got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 61.8 (England 46.2).

What are The St Thomas the Apostle College's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at The St Thomas the Apostle College was B+, and 29.9% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into The St Thomas the Apostle College?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, The St Thomas the Apostle College made 150 offers from 499 applications (3.3 per offer), and 117 of 181 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend The St Thomas the Apostle College?

The St Thomas the Apostle College has 1,140 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of The St Thomas the Apostle College?

The St Thomas the Apostle College had 860 school places in 2024/25.

Does The St Thomas the Apostle College have a sixth form?

Yes, The St Thomas the Apostle College has a sixth form with 100 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at The St Thomas the Apostle College?

At The St Thomas the Apostle College, the average class had 19.6 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 13 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at The St Thomas the Apostle College?

In 2025/26, pupils at The St Thomas the Apostle College missed 4.8% of sessions (England 8%), and 10.8% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.