St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy, Richmond
St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Richmond, part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic/Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 7th-highest of the 41 schools in North Yorkshire with published results, and 537th of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.4 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 104% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to North Yorkshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 54.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.2 in North Yorkshire and 47 across England.
60% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in North Yorkshire and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 54.6.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 1.01: 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 46.1, against 55.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.8 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 Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 160 families put St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 309 named it as one of their preferences, for 113 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 47 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy are Richmond School & Sixth Form College (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.7); and Risedale School (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 33.1).
St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy's 2026 results were higher than all 2 of them.
The trust
St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy is one of 38 schools run by Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.2 in 2024/25.
What parents say
162 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 115 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 30% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
11.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 52 pupils (8.5%) received SEN support and 24 (3.9%) 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 autism.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cross Lanes (ne-bound), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 45 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in North Yorkshire (9), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy issued 47 suspensions, 7.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy are St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy (under 0.1 miles), Richmond Methodist Primary School (0.1 miles) and Trinity Academy Richmond (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academyRichmond Methodist Primary SchoolTrinity Academy Richmond
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Francis Xavier School provides an outstanding education where pupils achieve exceptionally well academically while developing into mature, considerate young people. The school's culture, built around gospel values, creates a studious atmosphere where pupils listen attentively, value each other's contributions, and understand the importance of hard work. All pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from ambitious teaching and rich enrichment opportunities that prepare them well for their next steps.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve exceptionally well across all subjects, with strong national examination outcomes
- Excellent behaviour and conduct throughout the school with very rare disruption to learning
- Knowledgeable staff who are experts in their subjects and regularly adapt teaching based on what pupils know
- Strong support for pupils with SEND who achieve equally impressive academic outcomes
- Extensive enrichment programme including educational visits, overseas trips, and leadership opportunities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Educational visits including Iceland for geography pupils, Kenya school renovation projects, peer mentoring programmes, charitable and social action projects, leadership roles
St Francis Xavier School is a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy in Richmond, North Yorkshire, rated Outstanding across all areas. Pupils achieve exceptionally well academically while developing as mature, considerate young people who understand and respect differences.
At a Glance
11.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
162 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from 0.79 to 1.01 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 59.7 to 54.4 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 60% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 54.4 | 59.8% |
| Disadvantaged(20) | - | 46.1 | 35% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(107) | - | 55.9 | 64.5% |
| Boys(66) | - | 55.2 | 59.1% |
| Girls(61) | - | 53.5 | 60.7% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(126) | - | 54.5 | 60.3% |
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) - 115 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
47
Suspensions
7.76%
Suspension rate
24 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 606 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy is in North Yorkshire; for families living there:
Apply to North Yorkshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 North Yorkshire is 3 (the median across 382 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
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Your home postcode, set against St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy:
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- How many families in North Yorkshire 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
104%
Over capacity
606 pupils
585 places
21 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Richmond
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Richmond
Across North Yorkshire council
Places available
7,086
Applications
5,586
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All secondary applications across North Yorkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
52
SEN Support
24
EHC Plans
12.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
611
Total Pupils
301
Boys
310
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
39
Teachers
15.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,835
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,607
Per pupil
£4187k
Total funding
£80k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
7.5%
Persistent absence
626
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 Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy
What are GCSE results like at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 54.4. 60% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2012, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, North Yorkshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy was full in 2025, at 104% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy average 25 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy has around 611 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 7.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
Apply through North Yorkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy 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 Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 North Yorkshire is 3 (the median across 382 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy is at Darlington Road, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 7DA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)