St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy, Manchester
St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Manchester, part of St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 35th-highest of the 62 schools in Manchester with published results, and 1,514th of 3,298 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Bury (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.2 in Bury and 47 across England.
47% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Bury and 47% in England.
That is down from 50.4 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.21: 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 33.8, against 50.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 16.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 20 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.
Getting a place at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 168 families put St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 326 named it as one of their preferences, for 192 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy are Manchester Mesivta School (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.2); The Heys School (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 33.1); The King David High School (1.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 52.7); and Beis Yaakov High School (1.2 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 50.4).
St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Manchester Mesivta SchoolThe Heys SchoolThe King David High SchoolBeis Yaakov High School
The trust
St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is one of 27 schools run by St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 27 schools in St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust
What parents say
88 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 78% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 63% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (90%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (63%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 215 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 30% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Who goes there
In 2026, 101 pupils (9.8%) received SEN support and 18 (1.7%) 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 specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Heaton Park (Manchester Metrolink), about 410 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Monica's High School (outside), 100 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy issued 102 suspensions, 9.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy are St Hilda's Church of England Primary School (0.2 miles), Park View Primary School (0.4 miles), Sedgley Park Community Primary School (0.4 miles) and Yesoiday Hatorah Girls Academy (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Hilda's Church of England Primary SchoolPark View Primary SchoolSedgley Park Community Primary SchoolYesoiday Hatorah Girls Academy
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); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school has successfully created a respectful, inclusive community where all pupils feel valued and safe. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and use research-led methods to help pupils build their knowledge over time. The school celebrates diversity through activities like culture week and prepares pupils well for their futures through ambitious careers guidance and encouraging them to be active in their local community.
Key Strengths
- Consistent approach to behaviour management with warm relationships between staff and pupils - suspensions have reduced significantly
- Well-designed curriculum breaking learning into manageable steps so pupils build knowledge securely over time
- Strong focus on reading support with structured programmes and vocabulary development across all subjects
- Comprehensive careers guidance and preparation for life beyond school, including community involvement
- Leadership that accurately identifies strengths and areas for improvement with clear communication to school community
Areas for Improvement
- Some teachers lack confidence in adapting the curriculum effectively for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils, and those with lower attendance
- Attendance is not consistently high enough for some disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, which negatively affects their achievement
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Culture week, charitable events supporting local homelessness organisations, careers programme
St Monica's RC High School has been transformed since its last inspection, creating a positive school culture where pupils feel happy and safe. The school provides a highly ambitious curriculum with high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND, and pupils achieve well.
At a Glance
24.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
88 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 remained stable at around 0.21 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 48.6 to 46.7 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 47% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 46.7 | 47.2% |
| Disadvantaged(50) | - | 33.8 | 24% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(179) | - | 50.2 | 53.6% |
| Boys(120) | - | 45.3 | 42.5% |
| Girls(109) | - | 48.1 | 52.3% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(43) | - | 50.4 | 51.2% |
| Non mobile(220) | - | 47.2 | 48.2% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 215 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.09%
Exclusion rate
102
Suspensions
9.57%
Suspension rate
53 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,066 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
Term dates
St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Bury's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is in Bury; for families living there:
Apply to Bury for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 19 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 Bury is 10 (the median across 92 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
Your chances of a place at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy.
- Bury publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy for 2021 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bury 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
93%
Near capacity
1,070 pupils
1,150 places
80 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Manchester
Across Bury council
Places available
2,444
Applications
2,233
Got 1st preference
90.7%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All secondary applications across Bury council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
101
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
11.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,032
Total Pupils
554
Boys
478
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
58
Teachers
17.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,013
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,048
Per pupil
£7927k
Total funding
£267k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.9%
Overall absence
19.7%
Persistent absence
1,106
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 Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
What are GCSE results like at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 46.7. 47% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Bury allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 1150 places.
How big are the classes at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy average 24.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy has around 1032 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
7.9% of sessions were missed at St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 19.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Bury's coordinated admissions process, naming St Monica's RC High School, a 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 Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 19 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 Bury is 10 (the median across 92 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy?
St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is at Bury Old Road, Prestwich, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M25 1JH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)