St Francis of Assisi Catholic College, Walsall

Secondary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 1118

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~2.8km)Possible (~4.0km)Unlikely (~5.2km)Confidence: high

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

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Luke Salkeld
Pupils:1,109 / 1,100 capacity
LA:Walsall
Phone:01922740300
Website:stfrancis.cc
Address:Erdington Road, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 0RN
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 6 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Strong Standard
Behaviour
Strong Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Strong Standard
Sixth Form
Expected Standard
Inspected 17 March 2026View full report
URN:104255
UKPRN:10006160
Diocese:Archdiocese of Birmingham
Constituency:Aldridge-Brownhills
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

St Francis of Assisi excels at supporting all pupils to achieve highly, especially those facing barriers to learning. The school creates a nurturing environment where pupils develop strong character, integrity and a genuine commitment to their community. Teachers skilfully adapt their teaching to meet individual needs, ensuring no pupil falls behind.

Key Strengths

  • Excellent academic achievement across all subjects, particularly for disadvantaged pupils who progress faster than national averages
  • Strong attendance culture with sharp decreases in persistent absence through early identification and tailored support
  • Exemplary behaviour in lessons with pupils showing profound commitment to learning, underpinned by mutual respect
  • Highly effective curriculum design that builds knowledge intentionally, with skilful teacher assessment ensuring no pupil is left behind
  • Comprehensive inclusion and support for pupils with additional needs, including in-house counselling and emotional literacy interventions

Areas for Improvement

  • Some pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to grapple with challenging concepts in depth within the personal development curriculum
  • Extracurricular opportunities are not always well aligned with pupils' individual goals and aspirations
  • A-level outcomes in the sixth form, while improving, have typically been close to rather than above national averages

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed, making pupils safer and helping them feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Sixth form mentoring (reading and mathematics support for younger pupils), charity fundraising, community support work with local care homes, days of cultural celebration, behaviour management system development

St Francis of Assisi Catholic College is a Catholic secondary school where pupils thrive in a culture of love and warmth, achieving very well across all subjects with particularly impressive outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders have created a special place where faith, culture and learning take pride of place in pupils' lives.

At a Glance

26.4%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

21.8

Avg class size

49

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

101%

Over capacity

1,109 pupils

1,100 capacity

9 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Walsall

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,713
Projected new pupils:308

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Walsall

Admissions Demand - Walsall

Low demand0.93x oversubscription

Places available

4,057

Applications

3,772

Got 1st preference

75.9%

Got preferred school

93.9%

Secondary admissions across Walsall (2025/26)

Inspection History(8)

17 March 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Sixth Form
26 January 2022
28 February 2017

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SEN Provision

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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

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.9795%

Overall absence

18.89353%

Persistent absence

958

Enrolments

Authorised4.50501%
Unauthorised2.47449%
Persistent (10%+)18.89353%
Severe (50%+)1.25261%

Absence trend

5.67371%
18/19
4.01741%
20/21
7.30911%
21/22
7.25381%
22/23
8.16232%
23/24
6.9795%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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