Cathays High School, Cardiff

Cathays High School is an English-medium school in Wales. Welsh schools are inspected by Estyn rather than Ofsted, and its latest report is published on Estyn's website.

It had 1283 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

35% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

Of its pupils, 7% have additional learning needs (14% in 2020/21); 23% are learning English as an additional language; and 84% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Year groups range from 21 pupils (Year 13) to 236 (Year 9).

Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £5,724 per pupil, against £5,527 in 2021-22. It carried forward £462k of reserves at the end of 2024-25.

Estyn's report on its May 2022 inspection summarises Cathays High School like this:

"Through inspirational leadership and a culture of high ambition underpinned by the mission of ‘opportunities for all’, Cathays High School is a highly inclusive and aspirational learning community where pupils and staff thrive. Leaders have forged an ethos where pupils and staff feel valued and encouraged to excel. They are dedicated to developing both pupils and staff to get the very best out of them. Leaders at all levels maintain an unrelenting focus on evaluating and improving all aspects of the school’s work, especially the effectiveness of classroom practice. Staff are knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and whole-heartedly committed to improving the life chances of pupils. High expectations and well-established classroom routines provide a dynamic learning environment. Staff have an unwavering commitment to sharing good practice, improving teaching, and enabling all pupils to fulfil their potential."

"As a result, lessons are planned carefully and are adeptly delivered to stimulate pupils' interest and inspire them to achieve highly. Valuable arrangements for supporting learners with a diverse range of needs are flexible, highly tailored to individuals and draw expertly on internal and external provision to remove barriers to learning. Bespoke programmes for different groups of learners, such as new arrivals with limited English language skills, skillfully support pupils in their learning and everyday school life. The provision for personal and social education is effective for most pupils. There is a firmly established culture of safeguarding that pervades the school. All staff, through all aspects of their work, take personal ownership for ensuring that all pupils’ needs are catered for in a sensitive and safe way. As a result, pupils thrive in this happy, safe, and caring environment and are exceptionally proud to belong to their school community."

"Pupils place great value on and actively celebrate the school’s cultural diversity. They treat each other with respect and successfully develop the key attitudes and behaviours that will help them to become life-long learners and ethical, well-informed citizens of Wales. They are polite and friendly and behave impeccably in lessons and around the school. They display an undeniably positive attitude towards their learning and school life in general. Clear priorities emboldened by effective professional development support most pupils to develop their literacy, numeracy, digital, and Welsh language skills very well. The school's location at the heart of Cardiff and the diverse nature of the local community are important influences on the curriculum. This, along with the celebration of individuality and cohesion within the school community helps the school to develop and sustain its own bespoke cynefin (habitat)."

Estyn made 1 recommendation: (1) Strengthen the provision for personal and social education in Year 11.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Cathays High School are Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern (1.5 miles), Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf (1.5 miles), Cardiff High School (1.5 miles) and Whitchurch High School (1.7 miles).

The nearest railway station is Cathays Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cathays High School (outside), 100 metres away.