School profile

St Mary's Catholic School

Secondary · Academy converter · Bishop's Stortford, CM23 2NQ

Good

Map showing St Mary's Catholic School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#376 of 3,312

Better than 88% of schools in England

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

A-level 2024/25

#1,896 of 2,536

Worse than 74% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

St Mary's Catholic School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 8 Oct 2024

Area360 rating
Good
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,106
GenderMixed
Religious characterRoman Catholic
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherHeadteacher Deirdre McHugh
TrustST FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityHertfordshire
Opened01 Sept 2021
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 148499.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.56.8, better than England, better than Hertfordshire50.446.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.85.1%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire71.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.63.5%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire53.6%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.19.7%, better than England, similar to Hertfordshire18.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths82.7%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire67.2%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4208--

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 schoolHertfordshireEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.29.34, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire36.8235
Average A-level gradeC--
Average points, best three A-levels29.38, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire37.435.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC--
AAB or better9.4%, worse than England, worse than Hertfordshire19%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.28, worse than England--
A-level progressBelow average, worse than England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study93--
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 pupils1,106
Girls548
Boys558
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.9.3%
First language not English22.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,075
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
Sixth form places2024/25176
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.91
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.13
Average class size23.2

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

White British
45.8%
African
18.3%
Other White
12.8%
Other mixed
3.3%
Other Asian
3.1%
Irish
3%
White and Black Caribbean
2.3%
White and Asian
2.3%
White and Black African
1.9%
Indian
1.8%

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 teacher17.1
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13.7
Teachers (FTE)64.62
Teaching assistants (FTE)8.26
Support staff (FTE)29.19
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2563.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2553.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254.7
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.2

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.182
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.484
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.147
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.139
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)208

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 schoolHertfordshireEngland
Overall absence5.9%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire7.4%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.14.7%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire18.5%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.1%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire2.9%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 rate4.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions3.3%
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.98.9%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.96.2%
School sixth form66.7%
Further education28%
Apprenticeship2.2%
Sixth form college1.6%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.1.1%
Employment0.5%

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.88.8%
Higher education72%
Employment15%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.8.4%
Apprenticeship1.9%
Further education0%

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 St Mary's Catholic School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryWindhill21Academy converter
Outstanding
0.2 miPrimarySt Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.3 miPrimarySt Joseph's Catholic Primary School B/SAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miNot applicableBishop's Stortford CollegeOther independent school
Unrated
0.4 miPrimaryNorthgate Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryHillmead Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.8 miSecondaryHockerill Anglo-European CollegeAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miSecondaryThe Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science CollegeAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.9 miPrimaryAvanti Brook Primary SchoolFree schools
Good
0.9 miPrimaryManor Fields Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Outstanding

Frequently asked questions about St Mary's Catholic School

What is St Mary's Catholic School's Ofsted rating?

St Mary's Catholic School is rated Good, last inspected on 8 Oct 2024. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does St Mary's Catholic School rank in England?

St Mary's Catholic School ranks 376 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 88% of schools) and 1,896 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 74% of schools).

What are St Mary's Catholic School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 63.5% of pupils at St Mary's Catholic School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 56.8 (England 46.2).

What are St Mary's Catholic School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at St Mary's Catholic School was C, and 9.4% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into St Mary's Catholic School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, St Mary's Catholic School made 182 offers from 484 applications (2.7 per offer), and 139 of 147 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend St Mary's Catholic School?

St Mary's Catholic School has 1,106 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of St Mary's Catholic School?

St Mary's Catholic School had 1,075 school places in 2024/25.

Does St Mary's Catholic School have a sixth form?

Yes, St Mary's Catholic School has a sixth form with 176 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at St Mary's Catholic School?

At St Mary's Catholic School, the average class had 23.2 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.1 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at St Mary's Catholic School?

In 2025/26, pupils at St Mary's Catholic School missed 5.9% of sessions (England 8%), and 14.7% 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.