Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy, Ilkeston

In 2026, pupils at Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.2 in Derbyshire and 47 across England.

38% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Derbyshire and 47% in England.

That is down from 48.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.21: 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 38.7, against 45.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 103 families put Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 203 named it as one of their preferences, for 106 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy are Kirk Hallam Community Academy (0.3 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 40.6); Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.8); Friesland School (3.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46); and Bramcote College (3.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.7).

Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Saint John Houghton 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.

83 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 68% would recommend the school, 77% say their child is happy there and 54% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (81%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (51%).

Of the 118 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 44% to a further education college, 9% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

7.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Ilkeston Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St John Houghton School (adjacent), 70 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 108 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy issued 205 suspensions, 30.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy are Ladywood Primary School (0.4 miles), St Thomas Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles), Dallimore Primary & Nursery School (0.7 miles) and Field House Infant School (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.