Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy, Burton-on-Trent
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Burton-on-Trent, part of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 3rd-highest of the 7 schools in Burton-on-Trent with published results, and 1,461st of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.5 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- 1.5 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Staffordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.7 in Staffordshire and 47 across England.
49% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Staffordshire and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 46.7.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.29: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 37.5, against 50.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 18 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.
Getting a place at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 182 families put Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 341 named it as one of their preferences, for 118 places offered. That is 1.5 first choices for every place. 66 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy are Paulet High School (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.7); Abbot Beyne School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.4); Mercia Academy (1.5 miles, Attainment 8 38.7); and Paget High School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.4).
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Paulet High SchoolAbbot Beyne SchoolMercia AcademyPaget High School
The trust
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 25 schools run by St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.8 in 2024/25.
All 25 schools in St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust
Where pupils go next
Of the 121 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 47% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Burton-on-Trent Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Robert Sutton School (adjacent), 50 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy issued 104 suspensions, 17 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy are Edge Hill Academy (0.2 miles), The Violet Way Academy (0.3 miles), River View Primary and Nursery School (0.7 miles) and Stanton Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Edge Hill AcademyThe Violet Way AcademyRiver View Primary and Nursery SchoolStanton Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its January 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy is a co-educational secondary school located in the Stapenhill area of Burton upon Trent in the English county of Staffordshire. The school is named after Robert Sutton, a 16th Century Catholic priest and martyr who was born in Burton upon Trent.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
23.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.29 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 48.1 to 47.0 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 49% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 47.0 | 49.2% |
| Disadvantaged(32) | - | 37.5 | 37.5% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(86) | - | 50.5 | 53.5% |
| Boys(52) | - | 48.4 | 57.7% |
| Girls(66) | - | 45.9 | 42.4% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(24) | - | 57.9 | 75% |
| Non mobile(115) | - | 47.1 | 49.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 121 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.16%
Exclusion rate
104
Suspensions
16.99%
Suspension rate
49 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 612 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy
Term dates
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Staffordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- Staffordshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Staffordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
611 pupils
620 places
9 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Burton-on-Trent
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Burton-on-Trent
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
8,807
Applications
7,681
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: 1.5 first choices per place
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
96
SEN Support
29
EHC Plans
19.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
632
Total Pupils
309
Boys
323
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
31
Teachers
20.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,998
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,853
Per pupil
£4415k
Total funding
£152k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.3%
Overall absence
17.0%
Persistent absence
622
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy
What are GCSE results like at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 47. 49% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2016 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Staffordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy average 23.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 632 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy?
6.3% of sessions were missed at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 17% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Bluestone Lane, Stapenhill, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE15 9SD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)