Finchley Catholic High School, London

Good
Secondary
Voluntary aided school
Boys
Roman Catholic
Ages 1118

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.4km)Possible (~2.0km)Unlikely (~2.6km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Ciran Stapleton
Pupils:1,172 / 1,200 capacity
LA:Barnet
Phone:02084450105
Address:Woodside Lane, Finchley, London, N12 8TA
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 3 years ago
-

Overall

Inspected 26 September 2023View full report
URN:101362
UKPRN:10002458
Diocese:Archdiocese of Westminster
Constituency:Chipping Barnet
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school stands out for its outstanding student behaviour and the strong positive relationships between staff and students. Teachers have high expectations for every student and provide excellent support to help them succeed academically and personally. The school offers exciting enrichment activities that help young people develop strong values and become well-prepared for adult life.

Key Strengths

  • Outstanding behaviour and safety - students are polite, courteous and feel very well cared for
  • Strong progress in English and mathematics, particularly for disadvantaged students
  • High expectations from leaders and teachers for every student to achieve academically and personally
  • Good quality teaching that is increasingly outstanding, with excellent relationships between teachers and students
  • Wide range of enrichment activities that help students develop strong values and become well-prepared for adult life

Areas for Improvement

  • Teaching in some subjects at Key Stages 3 and 4 is not yet consistently outstanding
  • Sixth form students are not making rapid enough progress across all subjects
  • Individual sixth form students needing additional support are not always identified quickly enough

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective - students say they feel very safe at school and are well informed about bullying including cyber bullying, with staff dealing competently with any incidents.

Extracurricular Activities

Wide range of enrichment activities, additional learning opportunities after school and during school holidays, responsibility opportunities

Finchley Catholic High School is a good school where the dedicated leadership team has secured improvements across all areas since the previous inspection. Students achieve well with particularly strong progress in English and mathematics, and behaviour is outstanding.

At a Glance

14.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

21.6

Avg class size

52

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Tube / Metro / Tram

Woodside Park
616m · 10 min walk
Woodside Park Underground Station
619m · 10 min walk
Totteridge & Whetstone Station
825m · 13 min walk

Bus Stops

Derwent Crescent (Stop J)
335m · 5 min walk
Finchley Park (Stop E)
348m · 6 min walk
Laurel Way (->S)
426m · 7 min walk
Longland Drive (->N)
474m · 8 min walk
Swan Lane (->N)
499m · 8 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

98%

Near capacity

1,172 pupils

1,200 capacity

28 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - London

Medium pressure
New homes approved:104,823
Projected new pupils:18,868

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for London

Admissions Demand - Barnet

Low demand0.87x oversubscription

Places available

4,877

Applications

4,221

Got 1st preference

72.4%

Got preferred school

92.6%

Secondary admissions across Barnet (2025/26)

Inspection History(10)

26 September 2023
14 March 2018
6 November 2013
Leadership & ManagementGood

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.74125%

Overall absence

11.82432%

Persistent absence

888

Enrolments

Authorised4.70359%
Unauthorised1.03766%
Persistent (10%+)11.82432%
Severe (50%+)1.23874%

Absence trend

4.06118%
18/19
3.37407%
20/21
6.11979%
21/22
6.15455%
22/23
6.06244%
23/24
5.74125%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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