St Joseph's Catholic High School, Slough

Ofsted's report card from its 6 May 2026 inspection grades St Joseph's Catholic High School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Pupils' attendance is above the national average, including for disadvantaged pupils."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils achieve well in their GCSE examinations."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Pupils study a broad and ambitious curriculum."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Inclusion is at the heart of the school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have an acute understanding of the context of the school and of the community that they serve."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Provision for pupils' personal development is a significant feature of school life."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "The sixth form has grown substantially over the last few years, and leaders have developed an ambitious post-16 curriculum that includes both academic and vocational courses."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should strengthen how teachers check pupils' understanding so that misconceptions are addressed more precisely, and that they deepen pupils' knowledge, including when teaching the personal development curriculum"; "Leaders should build on their approach to pupils' writing so that expectations are high across the curriculum and pupils consistently develop the accuracy of their writing skills"; "Leaders should ensure that the adaptations and adjustments pupils need are consistently in place to a high standard so that they develop their learning to the depth that they are capable of"; "Leaders should further support sixth-form students' readiness for their next steps, through both the progress they make and through their personal development programme in making them resilient and confident".

From the headteacher's welcome: "By working together we aim to deliver an education that is second to none within an unashamedly Catholic atmosphere that equips our next generation in a combination of intellect and Spirit, faith and reason, prayer and action, to lead and challenge society for the better."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance, drama, chess, debating and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at St Joseph's Catholic High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 54, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 54.3 in Slough and 47 across England.

56% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 59% in Slough and 47% in England.

That is up from 50.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.45: 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 48.6, against 54.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Geography and Combined Science.

For September 2026 entry, 183 families put St Joseph's Catholic High School as their first choice and 433 named it as one of their preferences, for 158 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 51 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St Joseph's Catholic High School are Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy (0.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.2); Wexham School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.6); Baylis Court School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 52.2); and St Bernard's Catholic Grammar School (1.1 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 74.6).

St Joseph's Catholic High School's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

St Joseph's Catholic High School is one of 18 schools run by St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 152 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 95% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 30% to a further education college.

Of the 77 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 68% went on to university or other higher education, 1% to apprenticeships and 17% into work. 13% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

11.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 30% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (15%), Asian (12%) and Mixed (12%).

In 2026, 119 pupils (12%) received SEN support and 28 (2.8%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Slough Rail Station, about 850 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Shaggy Calf Lane (near), 250 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 570 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Slough (290), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic High School issued 123 suspensions, 12.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St Joseph's Catholic High School are Khalsa Primary School (0.2 miles), St Ethelbert's Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles), Iqra Slough Islamic Primary School (0.3 miles) and Willow Primary School (0.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.