St Wilfrid's RC College, South Shields
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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
St Wilfrid's has a well-planned curriculum with a genuine focus on reading and vocabulary across all subjects. The sixth form stands out as particularly strong, with students achieving well and progressing to interesting destinations. The school also provides excellent enrichment opportunities through clubs, community volunteering, and careers education to prepare pupils well for their futures.
Key Strengths
- Sixth form students achieve well and enjoy positive relationships with staff, progressing to ambitious destinations
- Effective curriculum that is well-sequenced, with positive focus on vocabulary and reading across subjects
- Strong personal development provision with effective careers education and a broad enrichment programme
- Safeguarding arrangements are effective and pupils feel safe at school
- School leaders have a clear vision for improvement supported by trust leaders
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent behaviour from some pupils continues to disrupt learning and requires more consistent staff implementation of behaviour policies
- Teaching tasks do not consistently extend pupils' thinking, limiting their ability to apply knowledge in different contexts
- Assessment and checking of pupils' understanding is underdeveloped, preventing staff from addressing specific learning gaps
- Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as peers due to inconsistent support and implementation of SEND plans
- Communication with stakeholders about recent improvements needs strengthening as confidence remains low
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Student council, community volunteering, active lunch clubs, fundraising for local charities, academic subject-linked reading in sixth form
St Wilfrid's RC College is a secondary comprehensive school in South Shields that requires improvement overall. While the sixth form is performing well, the main school has seen declining standards, with inconsistent pupil achievement and variable behaviour affecting the learning environment.
At a Glance
34.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
255 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
19.9
Avg class size
61
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
88%
Available places
1,271 pupils
1,450 capacity
179 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - South Shields
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for South Shields
Admissions Demand - South Tyneside
Places available
1,804
Applications
1,577
Got 1st preference
89.8%
Got preferred school
96.3%
Secondary admissions across South Tyneside (2025/26)
Inspection History(3)
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
9.79482%
Overall absence
28.49206%
Persistent absence
1,260
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
St Wilfrid's RC College
Ashley Academy
Stanhope Primary School
Mortimer Primary School
SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School, South Shields
Ridgeway Primary Academy
Holy Trinity Church of England Academy (South Shields)
Laygate Community School
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, South Shields
Biddick Hall Junior School
St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, South Shields
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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