St Gregory's Catholic High School
similar schools
St Gregory's Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Warrington for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,214 pupils, 14 more than it has places for. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 77 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 68% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2019.
Cromwell Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington, WA5 1HG01925 574888stgregoryshigh.comMr Edward McGlinchey headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 26 November 2019, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A later, shorter visit on 4 July 2024 said: “School remains Good”.
This inspection is more than 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2024 | Ungraded | School remains Good |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
235 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Warrington | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 235 | 235 | 233 | 188 | 165 | 184 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 51.0 | 51.8 | 51.1 | 54.5 | 49.9 | 47.0 | 47.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.31 | +0.18 | +0.25 | -0.02 | -0.07 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 53% | 57% | 52% | 60% | 49% | 37% | 45% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 73% | 74% | 75% | 77% | 75% | 65% | 66% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.59 | 4.64 | 4.46 | 4.67 | 4.38 | 4.00 | 4.21 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 48% | 49% | 33% | 27% | 42% | 24% | 47% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 38.8 | 42.9 | 46.0 | 45.9 | 38.2 | 32.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 53.5 | 53.3 | 52.1 | 55.8 | 51.2 | 49.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 30.0 | 31.9 | 36.9 | 27.1 | 30.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 66.2 | 65.4 | 71.9 | 59.7 | 60.4 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 20 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 235 | 22% | 59% | 78% | 53% | 1,022 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 235 | 20% | 57% | 72% | 54% | 1,228 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 233 | 17% | 55% | 77% | 58% | 1,609 of 3,202 |
| Religious Studies | 225 | 26% | 56% | 67% | 60% | 1,150 of 1,825 |
| Combined Science | 184 | 6% | 35% | 58% | 36% | 1,495 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 151 | 30% | 59% | 72% | 51% | 888 of 3,116 |
| History | 92 | 28% | 53% | 64% | 52% | 1,355 of 3,126 |
| Spanish | 75 | 45% | 76% | 91% | 54% | 298 of 1,941 |
| Business | 51 | 24% | 61% | 71% | 51% | 508 of 1,806 |
| Biology | 49 | 45% | 96% | 100% | 82% | 695 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 49 | 57% | 96% | 100% | 81% | 746 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 49 | 39% | 94% | 100% | 82% | 852 of 2,546 |
| Art and Design | 34 | 29% | 53% | 85% | 58% | 1,698 of 2,818 |
| French | 28 | 43% | 79% | 82% | 60% | 457 of 1,974 |
| Other Modern Languages | 27 | 70% | 78% | 85% | 49% | 118 of 454 |
| Drama | 25 | 20% | 60% | 80% | 60% | 476 of 844 |
| Design & Technology | 19 | 32% | 58% | 68% | 50% | – |
| Computer Science | 19 | 32% | 68% | 79% | 56% | – |
| Music | 16 | 25% | 56% | 75% | 61% | – |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 16 | 38% | 56% | 75% | 52% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
The school is full, with 91 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have grown by 4% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
The last child to get a place lived 880 m away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 880 m from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 240 | 240 | 880 m | LA |
What a home within 880 m of the school costs
Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 16 pupils, for autism.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Warrington with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (84), language and communications needs (81), Moderate learning difficulty (53), Specific learning difficulty (34), Autistic spectrum disorder (29), Other difficulty or disability (15).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,214 | 1,205 | 1,213 | 1,207 | 1,162 | 1,096 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 18% | 17% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 13% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 23% | 22% | 21% | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 22% | 18% | 14% | 12% | 10% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 6% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 6.2% | 6.4% | 6.3% | 7.7% | 4.7% | 5.3% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.5% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 6.2% | 3.8% | 4.3% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0.9% | 1.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 14.7% | 15.1% | 15.2% | 22.0% | 12.1% | 15.6% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 6.2 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 2.7 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 233 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 92%, compared with 97% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 97% | 93% | 92% | 97% |
| Education | 94% | 85% | 89% | 93% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 4% | 1% | 2% |
| Work | – | 4% | 3% | 2% |
| Not in education, work or training | 3% | 7% | 6% | 3% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldridge UTC Warrington | University technical college | 1.1 miles | 278 | No overall grade 2024 | 1 | Compare |
| Penketh High School | Academy | 1.1 miles | 1,058 | Good 2020 | 54 | Compare |
| Great Sankey High School | Academy | 1.8 miles | 2,051 | Good 2023 | 50 | Compare |
| Beamont Collegiate Academy | Academy | 1.8 miles | 890 | Good 2022 | 48 | Compare |
| Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School | Academy | 2.4 miles | 879 | Report card 2026 | 45 | Compare |
| Cardinal Newman Catholic High School | Roman Catholic | 2.5 miles | 808 | Good 2022 | 27 | Compare |
| Bridgewater High School | Academy | 2.7 miles | 1,683 | Good 2022 | 70 | Compare |
| Padgate Academy | Academy | 2.8 miles | 661 | Good 2023 | 26 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares St Gregory's Catholic High School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 77 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 77% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 71 to 82. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | above | +0.10 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 235 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 11% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.01 | Ofsted grade, 6.8 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.14 | DfE progress measure; 235 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.04 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.11 | 2024/25; 1,219 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | +0.02 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 235 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.06 | 233 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is St Gregory's Catholic High School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. St Gregory's Catholic High School scores 77 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 68% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 71 to 82, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is St Gregory's Catholic High School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated St Gregory's Catholic High School good at its last full inspection on 26 November 2019. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are St Gregory's Catholic High School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 53% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 51.0, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does St Gregory's Catholic High School have?
1,214 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,200 places, so it is 101% full.
Is St Gregory's Catholic High School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 880 m away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at St Gregory's Catholic High School?
Pupils were in school 93.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 15% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at St Gregory's Catholic High School?
The average class had 24.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 16% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does St Gregory's Catholic High School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does St Gregory's Catholic High School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 97% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Cromwell Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington, WA5 1HG
- Telephone
- 01925 574888
- Website
- www.stgregoryshigh.com
- Headteacher
- Mr Edward McGlinchey
- Type of school
- Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Liverpool
- Local authority
- Warrington
- Ward
- Great Sankey South
- Constituency
- Warrington South
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 111454 · LAESTAB 8774622 · UKPRN 10017463
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Warrington council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.