St Paul's Catholic School
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St Paul's Catholic School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Milton Keynes for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 1,890 pupils and room for 1,891. About 25 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 50 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 31% of the 50 schools most like it.
Phoenix Drive, Leadenhall, Milton Keynes, MK6 5EN01908 669735st-pauls.org.ukMrs Jo-Anne Hoarty headteacherAll details
Ofsted
Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
306 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 | Milton Keynes | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 306 | 300 | 282 | 280 | 278 | 269 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 44.9 | 47.0 | 44.9 | 45.5 | 46.5 | 44.0 | 44.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.03 | -0.04 | -0.28 | +0.15 | -0.01 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 38% | 44% | 34% | 39% | 40% | 34% | 45% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 61% | 65% | 58% | 61% | 62% | 57% | 64% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.07 | 4.25 | 4.09 | 4.09 | 4.15 | 3.85 | 4.01 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 87% | 86% | 88% | 85% | 85% | 79% | 43% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 37.3 | 38.8 | 36.7 | 39.9 | 44.1 | 39.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 47.5 | 49.8 | 47.6 | 47.6 | 47.3 | 45.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 27.7 | 32.0 | 29.3 | 28.4 | 28.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 61.8 | 63.9 | 63.4 | 63.1 | 59.2 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 23 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.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Music (9% here, 61% across England), German (22% here, 63% across England), French (22% here, 60% across England), Spanish (19% here, 54% across England).
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 | 305 | 14% | 41% | 65% | 53% | 2,401 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 305 | 19% | 54% | 71% | 54% | 1,443 of 3,210 |
| Religious Studies | 299 | 18% | 48% | 65% | 60% | 1,389 of 1,825 |
| English Literature | 298 | 19% | 57% | 74% | 58% | 1,445 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 244 | 9% | 28% | 47% | 36% | 2,028 of 3,084 |
| Design & Technology | 200 | 17% | 45% | 61% | 50% | 824 of 1,478 |
| History | 155 | 13% | 39% | 54% | 52% | 2,328 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 130 | 15% | 38% | 49% | 51% | 2,241 of 3,116 |
| French | 93 | 5% | 22% | 43% | 60% | 1,896 of 1,974 |
| Spanish | 88 | 6% | 19% | 28% | 54% | 1,853 of 1,941 |
| Art and Design | 87 | 10% | 37% | 62% | 58% | 2,341 of 2,818 |
| Other Modern Languages | 69 | 45% | 68% | 78% | 49% | 195 of 454 |
| Physical Education | 62 | 8% | 39% | 57% | 56% | 1,195 of 1,559 |
| Business | 62 | 3% | 32% | 48% | 51% | 1,424 of 1,806 |
| Biology | 59 | 24% | 66% | 90% | 82% | 2,096 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 59 | 19% | 54% | 80% | 81% | 2,282 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 59 | 24% | 71% | 85% | 82% | 1,911 of 2,546 |
| Social Studies | 55 | 20% | 49% | 60% | 54% | 626 of 1,043 |
| German | 46 | 7% | 22% | 33% | 63% | 554 of 571 |
| Music | 44 | 2% | 9% | 21% | 61% | 385 of 395 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 38 | 29% | 58% | 82% | 52% | 424 of 1,098 |
| Drama | 33 | 15% | 42% | 52% | 60% | 682 of 844 |
| Computer Science | 20 | 30% | 55% | 70% | 56% | 894 of 1,861 |
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.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
198 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 198 | 229 | 216 | 210 | 438 | 443 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 28.98 | 26.69 | 27.39 | 30.73 | 27.63 | 30.21 |
| Average A level grade | C | C- | C- | C | C- | C |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 30.35 | 27.52 | 27.33 | 30.64 | 27.98 | 25.32 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 9% | 5% | 5% | 8% | 5% | 6% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.12 | +0.07 | – | – | -0.05 | +0.18 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 24.43 | 24.75 | 26.04 | 25.92 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 96% | 93% | 95% | 99% | 90% | 91% |
A level subjects
23 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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 151 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 stayed about the same since 2021/22.
How places were given out for September 2026. The last place was given under this rule: Criterion K3 (Multiple births).
| Entry | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | – | LA |
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) and SEN unit with 80 pupils and a SEN unit with 27 pupils, for autism, hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, visual impairment.
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 Milton Keynes with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (150), Autistic spectrum disorder (71), emotional and mental health (53), language and communications needs (34), Other difficulty or disability (32), Hearing impairment (13).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,890 | 1,886 | 1,848 | 1,861 | 1,875 | 1,901 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 24% | 24% | 23% | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 62% | 61% | 60% | 59% | 58% | 56% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 13% | 9% | 8% | 11% | 14% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 5% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.2% 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 | 6.8% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 4.6% | 4.8% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.1% | 5.6% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 3.6% | 3.6% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.2% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 17.8% | 21.0% | 21.8% | 22.2% | 12.6% | 11.3% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 15.1 | 18.2 | 13.7 | 10.4 | 6.6 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 282 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 94%, compared with 96% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 96% | 95% | 95% | 96% |
| Education | 94% | 92% | 93% | 95% |
| Apprenticeship | – | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Work | 1% | 3% | 1% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 3% | 3% | 4% | 2% |
After sixth form
Where the 198 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 84%, compared with 89% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 88% went on to degree-level study or training and 5% to a top-third university.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 88% | 93% | 87% | – |
| Education | 69% | 76% | 70% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 4% | 5% | 0% |
| Work | 13% | 14% | 12% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 9% | 5% | 6% | – |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Milton Keynes Academy | Academy | 290 m | 923 | No overall grade 2025 | 33 | Compare |
| Denbigh School | Academy | 1.6 miles | 1,778 | Not inspected | 84 | Compare |
| Lord Grey Academy | Academy | 1.9 miles | 1,446 | Report card 2026 | 35 | Compare |
| Shenley Brook End School | Academy | 2.0 miles | 1,845 | Good 2024 | 35 | Compare |
| Oakgrove School | Academy | 2.1 miles | 2,527 | Not inspected | 79 | Compare |
| Kents Hill Park all-through school | Free school | 2.1 miles | 1,056 | Good 2022 | 66 | Compare |
| The Hazeley Academy | Academy | 2.5 miles | 1,594 | Good 2024 | 54 | Compare |
| Stantonbury School | Academy | 2.5 miles | 1,409 | Report card 2026 | 2 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares St Paul's Catholic School with the 49 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 49 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 50 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 50% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 42 to 60. 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% | in line | -0.04 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 306 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 0% | no data | – | |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | +0.04 | DfE progress measure; 306 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.08 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.08 | 2024/25; 1,506 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.22 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 306 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.05 | 282 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 Paul's Catholic School a good school?
It is about average. St Paul's Catholic School scores 50 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 31% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 42 to 60, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
How good are St Paul's Catholic School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 38% 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 44.9, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does St Paul's Catholic School have?
1,890 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,891 places, so it is 100% full.
Is St Paul's Catholic School oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 151 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
What is attendance like at St Paul's Catholic School?
Pupils were in school 93.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at St Paul's Catholic School?
The average class had 19.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 4% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does St Paul's Catholic School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) and sen unit for autism, hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, visual impairment. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does St Paul's Catholic School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C. 23 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Phoenix Drive, Leadenhall, Milton Keynes, MK6 5EN
- Telephone
- 01908 669735
- Website
- www.st-pauls.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Jo-Anne Hoarty
- Type of school
- Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic, Diocese of Northampton
- Local authority
- Milton Keynes
- Ward
- Woughton & Fishermead
- Constituency
- Milton Keynes Central
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 110517 · LAESTAB 8264702 · UKPRN 10006289
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.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Milton Keynes council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- 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.