St Michael's Catholic School, High Wycombe

Ofsted's report card from its 10 February 2026 inspection grades St Michael's Catholic School on 8 areas: 3 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.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Pupils' attendance is above average and improving because of leaders' highly effective approaches, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities."

Early years - Strong standard. "Leaders have a clear and aspirational vision for giving children the very best start to their education."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Gathering daily for a period of spiritual reflection, pupils are part of a school community that learns about what is right and wrong."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Many children start school in the early years with barriers to their learning."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is well designed, securely structured and ambitious across all year groups and subjects."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders make sure that they use resources well to provide the right additional help and adaptations that benefit pupils' learning."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are highly motivated to ensure that all pupils succeed and that the school delivers the very best education."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders' careful changes to the curriculum, based on their accurate evaluations of what needs to improve further, mean that it is ambitious and that it meets students' needs and aspirations."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers meet pupils' needs more fully through consistently precise adaptations in lessons and by addressing any misunderstandings that pupils may have quickly and effectively"; "The school should improve pupils' achievement further by increasing the depth and quality of pupils' writing, including picking up on basic errors routinely, so that pupils' written responses reflect pupils' understanding fully"; "Leaders should continue to develop the effectiveness of teaching in the sixth form so that students' learning is consistently enriched and extended, and supports students to achieve more highly".

In its own words: "Our school mission statement, "Achieving in faith, with love, as a community," reflects the core values that guide every aspect of our school life. Written by our students, it captures the spirit of unity and growth we strive for."

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to St Michael’s Catholic School. I joined the school at Easter 2023 as Executive Headteacher and it is a privilege to serve the wonderful young people across all 3 St Michaels phases."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance and STEM.

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care until 6:30pm.

In 2026, pupils at St Michael's Catholic School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 55 in Buckinghamshire and 47 across England.

46% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 61% in Buckinghamshire and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 49.1.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.33: 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 41.7, against 50.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.9 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 106 families put St Michael's Catholic School as their first choice and 463 named it as one of their preferences, for 115 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 33 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St Michael's Catholic School are Wycombe High School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 74.2); John Hampden Grammar School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 73.1); Cressex Community School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.3); and The Highcrest Academy (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42).

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

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

152 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Michael's Catholic School (as of April 2026): 75% would recommend the school, 76% say their child is happy there and 51% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (78%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (51%).

Of the 294 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 26% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 44 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 71% went on to university or other higher education and 23% into work. 2% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

34.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (33%), White British (24%) and Black (12%).

In 2026, 316 pupils (13.1%) received SEN support and 71 (2.9%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.

St Michael's Catholic School had 142 teachers in 2026, one for every 7 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is High Wycombe Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Michael's School (adjacent), 170 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 266 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Buckinghamshire (44), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St Michael's Catholic School issued 285 suspensions, 12.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to St Michael's Catholic School are Abbey View Primary Academy (0.5 miles), High Wycombe Church of England Combined School (0.6 miles), Chepping View Primary Academy (0.9 miles) and Hamilton Academy (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.