St James' Catholic High School, Cheadle

Ofsted's report card from its 28 April 2026 inspection grades St James' Catholic High School on 6 areas: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have established an ambitious personal development programme."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils are generally well prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "On the whole, pupils' rate of attendance is above the national average."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that an ambitious, well-planned curriculum is in place."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders identify pupils' additional needs quickly and accurately."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and governors are united in their vision."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the strategies they are using to close gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils nationally are effective"; "Leaders should ensure that the strategies they use to improve attendance rapidly lead to high attendance for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities"; "Leaders should ensure that gaps in knowledge and skills in writing are quickly identified and addressed for all pupils in all year groups".

In its own words: "Teaching staff, support staff, canteen staff, cleaners, pupils, parents and Governors were all involved in determining our collective values, mission and philosophy. The three values are simple but powerful; We are proud of our school family, and of the strong roots we have grown within our local community."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, hockey, badminton, drama, choir, Lego, art, Duke of Edinburgh and homework club.

Coming up: an open day on Thursday 8 July 2027 at 8.40am and an open day on Tuesday 20 July 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at St James' Catholic High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 52.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 49.1 in Stockport and 47 across England.

52% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 51% in Stockport and 47% in England.

That is up from 51.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.23: 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 38.1, against 55.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 17.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 165 families put St James' Catholic High School as their first choice and 663 named it as one of their preferences, for 155 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 32 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St James' Catholic High School are Cheadle Hulme High School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 59.3); Laurus Cheadle Hulme (1.5 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 58.2); Bramhall High School (2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.2); and The Kingsway School (2.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 48.4).

St James' Catholic High School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Of the 158 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 23% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

15.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 9.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 77 pupils (9.3%) received SEN support and 35 (4.2%) 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 autism.

The nearest railway station is Handforth Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St James' School (near), 20 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St James' Catholic High School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, St James' Catholic High School issued 67 suspensions, 8.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St James' Catholic High School are Thorn Grove Primary School (0.3 miles), Hursthead Infant School (0.7 miles), Hursthead Junior School (0.8 miles) and Outwood Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.