St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy
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St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy is a converter academy in Pontefract for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,470 pupils and room for 1,800. About 24 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 46 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in March 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Cutsyke Road, Featherstone, Pontefract, WF7 6BD01977 691000st-wilfrids.bkcat.co.ukDr Philip Dore headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 10 March 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 18 November 2021 | Ungraded | School remains Good |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
268 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 | Wakefield | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 268 | 278 | 271 | 270 | 242 | 239 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 46.7 | 47.7 | 47.0 | 49.6 | 48.3 | 45.5 | 45.3 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.01 | +0.04 | -0.05 | -0.20 | -0.12 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 50% | 49% | 44% | 51% | 45% | 41% | 45% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 69% | 71% | 67% | 71% | 73% | 67% | 66% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.18 | 4.33 | 4.19 | 4.35 | 4.35 | 4.02 | 3.99 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 38% | 48% | 41% | 36% | 70% | 58% | 35% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 35.8 | 32.4 | 31.1 | 37.8 | 41.6 | 36.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 49.6 | 50.6 | 49.4 | 52.6 | 49.2 | 47.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 29.1 | 28.1 | 27.5 | 24.1 | 23.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 65.1 | 68.1 | 68.7 | 58.9 | 57.7 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 24 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
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Drama (5% here, 60% across England), Physical Education (28% here, 56% across England), Computer Science (31% here, 56% across England), Music (44% here, 61% 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 | 266 | 17% | 54% | 76% | 53% | 1,353 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 266 | 16% | 56% | 71% | 54% | 1,313 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 262 | 16% | 59% | 71% | 58% | 1,313 of 3,202 |
| Religious Studies | 255 | 31% | 64% | 73% | 60% | 856 of 1,825 |
| Combined Science | 200 | 12% | 38% | 57% | 36% | 1,229 of 3,084 |
| History | 142 | 29% | 66% | 77% | 52% | 641 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 104 | 24% | 56% | 69% | 51% | 1,027 of 3,116 |
| Physical Education | 94 | 6% | 28% | 38% | 56% | 1,363 of 1,559 |
| French | 70 | 33% | 84% | 90% | 60% | 315 of 1,974 |
| Physics | 60 | 33% | 68% | 83% | 82% | 2,005 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 60 | 30% | 67% | 83% | 81% | 2,038 of 2,537 |
| Biology | 60 | 27% | 68% | 87% | 82% | 2,041 of 2,570 |
| Art and Design | 58 | 28% | 72% | 85% | 58% | 763 of 2,818 |
| Spanish | 54 | 20% | 61% | 82% | 54% | 755 of 1,941 |
| Business | 51 | 18% | 49% | 61% | 51% | 863 of 1,806 |
| Media / Film / TV | 50 | 0% | 42% | 50% | 55% | 429 of 580 |
| Design & Technology | 47 | 11% | 40% | 55% | 50% | 914 of 1,478 |
| Computer Science | 39 | 10% | 31% | 46% | 56% | 1,565 of 1,861 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 28 | 21% | 54% | 61% | 52% | 517 of 1,098 |
| Other Modern Languages | 24 | 71% | 75% | 75% | 49% | 138 of 454 |
| Drama | 19 | 0% | 5% | 32% | 60% | – |
| Music | 18 | 17% | 44% | 67% | 61% | – |
| Dance | 13 | 39% | 62% | 69% | 58% | – |
| Statistics | 11 | 0% | 46% | 82% | 51% | – |
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
59 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 59 | 49 | 77 | 70 | 189 | 265 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 31.13 | 31.78 | 28.64 | 31.87 | 32.44 | 29.29 |
| Average A level grade | C | C+ | C | C+ | C+ | C |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 33.06 | 33.33 | 29.20 | 31.64 | 31.23 | 25.39 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 11% | 21% | 11% | 13% | 9% | 10% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.22 | +0.03 | – | – | -0.08 | -0.10 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 27.63 | 27.35 | 26.79 | 34.44 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 91% | 90% | 84% | 97% | 91% | 89% |
A level subjects
14 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. 1 of the 3 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.
326 places were empty (18% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Wakefield council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
What parents say
From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 143 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for secondary schools with enough answers to publish.
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 20 pupils, for autism, speech, language and communication.
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 Wakefield with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Other difficulty or disability (107), Autistic spectrum disorder (93), emotional and mental health (36), Specific learning difficulty (28), language and communications needs (16), Vision impairment (6).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,470 | 1,481 | 1,488 | 1,503 | 1,525 | 1,532 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 23% | 20% | 17% | 16% | 14% | 12% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 13% | 13% | 12% | 12% | 11% | 10% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 13% | 13% | 11% | 9% | 9% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 5% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.0% 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 | 8.0% | 8.1% | 7.6% | 8.4% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.0% | 5.6% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 3.1% | 3.1% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 3.0% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.0% | 1.1% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 23.3% | 25.5% | 22.5% | 28.0% | 10.5% | 8.6% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 47.0 | 38.1 | 29.4 | 18.2 | 8.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 5 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 271 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 86%, compared with 94% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 93% | 93% | 96% | 97% |
| Education | 86% | 87% | 90% | 92% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Work | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Not in education, work or training | 4% | 6% | 3% | 2% |
After sixth form
Where the 73 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 63%, compared with 83% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 81% | 94% | 94% | – |
| Education | 44% | 66% | 63% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 6% | 12% | 3% |
| Work | 29% | 23% | 18% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 12% | 4% | 4% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 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 Featherstone Academy | Academy | 1.6 miles | 556 | Good 2022 | 35 | Compare |
| The King's School | Academy | 1.9 miles | 1,041 | Good 2022 | 68 | Compare |
| Outwood Academy Freeston | Academy | 2.1 miles | 993 | No overall grade 2025 | 34 | Compare |
| Castleford Academy | Academy | 2.1 miles | 1,480 | No overall grade 2025 | 68 | Compare |
| Airedale Academy | Academy | 2.6 miles | 1,008 | Requires improvement 2024 | 2 | Compare |
| Carleton High School | Academy | 2.8 miles | 1,026 | Not inspected | 59 | Compare |
| Crofton Academy | Academy | 3.9 miles | 1,045 | Good 2023 | 58 | Compare |
| Brigshaw High School | Academy | 4.3 miles | 1,321 | Not inspected | 47 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodkirk Academy | Academy | 9.5 miles | 1,769 | Good 2023 | 69 | Compare |
| Trinity Academy St. Edwards | Free school | 11.8 miles | 882 | Outstanding 2024 | 85 | Compare |
| Carr Manor Community School | Foundation | 12.4 miles | 1,541 | No overall grade 2025 | 85 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 46 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 46% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 37 to 56. 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 | +0.01 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 268 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | -0.05 | Ofsted report card, 0.5 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | +0.00 | DfE progress measure; 268 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | 0.00 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | -0.01 | 2024/25; 1,432 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | -0.01 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 268 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | +0.01 | 271 pupils |
| What parents say | 5% | below | -0.03 | Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 143 responses |
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 Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy a good school?
It is about average. St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy scores 46 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 37 to 56, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 10 March 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.
How good are St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 50% 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 46.7, 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 Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy have?
1,470 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,800 places, so it is 82% full.
Is St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 326 places were empty in 2024/25 (18% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy?
Pupils were in school 92.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 23% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
What do parents say about St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy?
71% of the 143 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 69% say their child is happy there. Across England, 77% of parents would recommend their child's school.
How big are the classes at St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy?
The average class had 22.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 19% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism, speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C. 14 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
- Cutsyke Road, Featherstone, Pontefract, WF7 6BD
- Telephone
- 01977 691000
- Website
- www.st-wilfrids.bkcat.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Dr Philip Dore
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic, Diocese of Leeds (rc)
- Multi-academy trust
- The Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust (15 schools)
- Local authority
- Wakefield
- Ward
- Featherstone
- Constituency
- Normanton and Hemsworth
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 November 2012 (academy converter)
- URN
- 138951 · LAESTAB 3844604 · UKPRN 10039408
- Formerly
- St Wilfrid's Catholic High School and Sixth Form College: With Speech and Language Resource
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, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- 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.