St Catherine's Catholic School, Bexleyheath
St Catherine's Catholic School is a secondary school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Bexleyheath. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2022. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 5th-highest of the 16 schools in Bexley with published results, and 455th of 3,298 across England. It was 89% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Bexley (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Catherine's Catholic School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at St Catherine's Catholic School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 55.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 52.2 in Bexley and 47 across England.
66% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 56% in Bexley and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 55.1.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.75: pupils made well 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 48.1, against 58.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.1 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.
Getting a place at St Catherine's Catholic School
For September 2026 entry, 158 families put St Catherine's Catholic School as their first choice and 454 named it as one of their preferences, for 208 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 30 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Catherine's Catholic School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to St Catherine's Catholic School are St Columba's Catholic Boys' School (0.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.9); Lift Bexleyheath (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.3); Beths Grammar School (0.6 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 73.2); and Townley Grammar School (0.8 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 74.8).
St Catherine's Catholic School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
St Columba's Catholic Boys' SchoolLift BexleyheathBeths Grammar SchoolTownley Grammar School
Where pupils go next
Of the 202 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 97% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 20% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Who goes there
15.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (57%), White British (16%) and Asian (10%).
In 2026, 77 pupils (7.5%) received SEN support and 22 (2.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Barnehurst Station, about 1190 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Park Grove (DA6), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Catherine's Catholic School issued 63 suspensions, 6.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to St Catherine's Catholic School are Gravel Hill Primary School (0.1 miles), Mayplace Primary School (0.5 miles), Pelham Primary School (0.5 miles) and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Gravel Hill Primary SchoolMayplace Primary SchoolPelham Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
15.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from 0.56 to 0.75 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 53.9 to 55.5 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 53% to 66% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 55.5 | 65.7% |
| Disadvantaged(54) | - | 48.1 | 44.4% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(150) | - | 58.2 | 73.3% |
| Girls(204) | - | 55.5 | 65.7% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(22) | - | 57.3 | 59.1% |
| Non mobile(201) | - | 55.7 | 65.7% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 202 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.10%
Exclusion rate
63
Suspensions
6.06%
Suspension rate
31 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,040 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with St Catherine's Catholic School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Catherine's Catholic School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Catherine's Catholic School is in Bexley; for families living there:
Apply to Bexley for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 49
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 49 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 43 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
12 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 Bexley is 28.5 (the median across 92 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 St Catherine's Catholic School
Will you get a place at St Catherine's Catholic School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Catherine's Catholic School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Catherine's Catholic School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Catherine's Catholic School.
- Bexley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Catherine's Catholic School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Catherine's Catholic School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bexley 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
89%
Available places
1,039 pupils
1,170 places
131 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bexleyheath
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bexleyheath
Across Bexley council
Places available
3,269
Applications
2,992
Got 1st preference
68.1%
Got preferred school
95.3%
All secondary applications across Bexley council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
77
SEN Support
22
EHC Plans
9.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,021
Total Pupils
0
Boys
1,021
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
67
Teachers
15.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,554
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,259
Per pupil
£7881k
Total funding
£212k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
13.9%
Persistent absence
1,083
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
St Catherine's Catholic School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about St Catherine's Catholic School
What are GCSE results like at St Catherine's Catholic School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St Catherine's Catholic School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 55.5. 66% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Catherine's Catholic School's Ofsted rating?
St Catherine's Catholic School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2022, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Catherine's Catholic School?
No fixed boundary. When St Catherine's Catholic School is oversubscribed, Bexley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Catherine's Catholic School?
St Catherine's Catholic School was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 1170 places.
How big are the classes at St Catherine's Catholic School?
Classes at St Catherine's Catholic School average 24.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Catherine's Catholic School?
St Catherine's Catholic School has around 1021 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Catherine's Catholic School?
5% of sessions were missed at St Catherine's Catholic School in 2024/25. 13.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Catherine's Catholic School?
Apply through Bexley's coordinated admissions process, naming St Catherine's Catholic School 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 St Catherine's Catholic School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 49 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 43 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 12 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 Bexley is 28.5 (the median across 92 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Catherine's Catholic School?
St Catherine's Catholic School is at Watling Street, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7QJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)