St James' Catholic High School, Cheadle
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 5 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
St James' offers a welcoming Catholic community where pupils feel happy and supported both academically and pastorally. The school excels at preparing young people for their futures through impressive careers guidance and personal development opportunities, from trampolining to subject-specific university visits. Staff care deeply about student wellbeing and create a calm, respectful environment where pupils behave well and bullying is rare.
Key Strengths
- Strong personal development programme focusing on mental health, wellbeing and British values, with excellent careers education and tailored pathways
- Calm, orderly school environment with high expectations of behaviour and rare bullying
- Above-average GCSE passes in English and mathematics with effective teaching strategies including retrieval practice and purposeful questioning
- Excellent inclusion practices with quick identification of additional needs and appropriate support for all pupils
- Strong leadership vision shared with governors, with staff wellbeing prioritised
Areas for Improvement
- Achievement gap between disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils nationally has widened and needs urgent attention
- Writing skills support less well developed compared to reading
- A small number of subjects where achievement is less positive
- Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have lower attendance rates than expected
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Poetry by heart, flashcard club, knit and natter, trampolining, Dungeons and Dragons club, visits to France Germany and Spain, faith retreats, university degree art show visits
St James' Catholic High School is a well-led Catholic secondary school where pupils are happy, feel safe, and benefit from strong pastoral care and personal development programmes. Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum with generally effective teaching that prepares most pupils well for their next steps.
At a Glance
15.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
23.6
Avg class size
35
Total classes
5 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Over capacity
824 pupils
825 capacity
1 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Cheadle
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Cheadle
Admissions Demand - Stockport
Places available
3,392
Applications
3,486
Got 1st preference
76.2%
Got preferred school
94.2%
Secondary admissions across Stockport (2025/26)
Inspection History(8)
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.
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.
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.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5765%
Overall absence
14.44043%
Persistent absence
831
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
St James' Catholic High School
Thorn Grove Primary School
Hursthead Infant School
Hursthead Junior School
Greenbank Preparatory School
Valley School
Outwood Primary School
Moss Hey Primary School
Bradshaw Hall Primary School
Oakgrove School
St. Benedict's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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