St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy, Buxton Review 2026: Catholic secondary with improving inspection profile and a distinctive chaplaincy offer

A school that asks students to aim higher than headline grades, and then backs that ambition with a clear structure. The motto, “aspire not to have more but to be more”, appears repeatedly across school communications and is reinforced through practical routines, from the daily timetable to the way year groups are organised around named saints rather than traditional houses.

As of January 2026, this is a state-funded Catholic secondary for students aged 11 to 16, with a published capacity of 450. It is part of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust.

The most recent Ofsted inspection (3 and 4 June 2025) did not award an overall grade under the post September 2024 framework, but judged Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Leadership and Management as Good. That is a meaningful step forward from the previous Requires Improvement judgement in January 2023.

Identity here is explicitly Catholic, but the school is careful to frame that identity as inclusive rather than exclusive. The admissions information states that the academy sits within the Nottingham diocesan family of schools and is founded within the Catholic Church’s educational mission, while also emphasising that families who are not Catholic can still apply and be considered for places.

The most distinctive cultural feature is the faith infrastructure that sits alongside mainstream secondary routines. A dedicated High Peak chaplain is described as being present on Tuesdays and Fridays and based in the chapel on those days, which is a practical detail rather than a generic statement of ethos. There is also an internal chaplaincy structure with three named teams: Bosco (leadership), Acutis (media), and Faustina (design). For students, this creates obvious routes into service, leadership, and creative contribution that do not depend on being the loudest voice in a classroom.

The move to Year Group Saints is another signal that culture is curated. The school sets out a saint for each year group, for example St Thérèse of Lisieux for Year 7 and St Oscar Romero for Year 11, using this as a framework for values language and charitable focus. This can work well for families who want moral language to be more than a poster on a corridor wall. It may feel less comfortable for families who prefer faith to be a private matter rather than a shared vocabulary.

In leadership terms, the current headteacher is David Redfern. The academy website names him directly, and government records show his headteacher appointment date as 1 September 2020.

The performance picture is mixed and needs to be read with care. On GCSE outcomes, the school is ranked 3,276th in England and 2nd in Buxton (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). That positioning places performance below England average overall, so families should treat it as a school where improvement matters as much as raw attainment.

On the core measures provided, Attainment 8 is 39.2 and Progress 8 is -0.51. A negative Progress 8 score indicates that, on average, students made less progress than peers nationally from similar starting points across eight subjects. On the English Baccalaureate measure, the average point score is 3.23 compared with an England average of 4.08.

This is also a school with clear evidence of recent improvement and tightening practice. The June 2025 inspection confirms that the previous inspection grade was Requires Improvement, and the 2025 outcome across all key areas is now Good. That kind of shift usually reflects stronger leadership routines and more consistent classroom expectations, even if headline exam measures take longer to catch up fully.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and the Comparison Tool to view these GCSE measures side by side with nearby schools, particularly if travel is feasible across the High Peak area.

Teaching is framed explicitly as a whole-school system rather than something left to individual departments. The June 2025 inspection report references the school’s “teaching and learning seven” strategy, alongside a clear improvement point, consistency of implementation is not yet uniform across lessons. The practical implication for families is straightforward. A student who thrives with predictable routines and clear feedback will do well when that strategy is applied well, but a student who relies heavily on adults to spot and close learning gaps may be more exposed if implementation varies between subjects.

Curriculum breadth appears conventional for an 11 to 16 secondary, with a published subject set that includes core academic areas alongside creative and practical subjects such as Design and Technology, Drama, and Food Preparation and Nutrition.

Beyond subjects, the academy also describes a “character curriculum” that links personal development to concrete activities and responsibilities, for example chaplaincy involvement, peer mentoring, and structured enrichment. That is useful for students who need a reason to show up and contribute that is not purely academic.

With no sixth form on site, the practical question is post 16 planning. The most useful published insight here sits within careers documentation rather than a destinations list. The academy’s careers plan references encounters with further education and higher education providers and names local options including Buxton and Leek College, Aquinas College, Marple College, and Macclesfield College, alongside sixth form assemblies and college-facing input. This suggests that students receive structured guidance on multiple routes rather than a single default pathway.

Families who want a clear sixth form pipeline should still do the work early. Ask about subject availability post 16, travel feasibility, and how the school supports applications and transition for both vocational and A-level routes. Where possible, align GCSE option choices with the likely post 16 destination to reduce last minute compromises.

Admissions operate through Derbyshire’s coordinated process for secondary transfer. For children starting in September 2026, Derbyshire states that applications open on 8 September 2025 and the closing date is 31 October 2025. Offers are released on 2 March 2026.

The academy’s published admissions information also points families to the coordinated route and flags supplementary information for those applying under faith-based criteria.

Demand is clearly higher than available places on the Year 7 entry route. In the most recent admissions demand data provided, there were 126 applications for 50 offers, which is 2.52 applications per place. This is consistent with an oversubscribed school, and it means families should treat admission as competitive rather than routine.

A practical step for families shortlisting this option is to use FindMySchoolMap Search to understand travel viability and alternatives. Even where a formal catchment map is not the only factor, commuting realities still shape daily life.

Pastoral structure is described in practical, role-based terms. Form tutors are set out as the first point of contact, with Heads of Learning and Pastoral Managers providing the next layer of support, and an additional set of roles including SENDCo, a Family Support Worker, and an Inclusion Manager. This tends to work best for families who like clear escalation routes and want to know who owns an issue day to day.

Safeguarding information is also published in detail, including named safeguarding leads and a wider safeguarding team, which is a useful marker of clarity and accountability.

A distinctive local feature is the reference to Grapevine Wellbeing Centre as a safe space and wellbeing drop-in, with access to support and groups such as mindfulness, creative writing, and park walks. This is not an in-school service, but it is a sign that the academy signposts community support options and treats mental health as practical rather than abstract.

Extracurricular activity is one of the areas where this academy offers unusually specific choice for an 11 to 16 school. The transition information lists an active set of clubs that spans reading and speaking, performance, sport, and student leadership. Examples include Cipher Club, QUEST (Qualities in English Studies), Radio Club, Chess Club, Jazz Band, Vocal Group, and a Year 7 Band. For a student who needs a clear “place” early in Year 7, this range creates multiple low-barrier entry points.

The published extra-curricular timetable adds further specificity and helps families see how provision actually runs in a week. It lists clubs such as Lego Club for Key Stage 3, a liturgy rehearsal, gardening club, drama club, and Bronze Duke of Edinburgh sessions after school. There is also regular library access at breaks, which matters for students who work best with a quiet base during the day.

Sport is clearly treated as both curricular and enrichment. A sports clubs document references activities scheduled across mornings and lunchtimes and names facilities such as the sports hall and a dance studio for certain sessions. The implication is that students who need movement as part of their week have multiple structured options beyond PE lessons alone.

The published timetable shows an 8:50 start for registration. On most days, lessons run through to a 3:10 finish, with a mid-morning break and lunch built into the day. Wednesdays follow a slightly different rhythm, with longer registration and personal development earlier in the day.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for standard secondary costs such as uniform, transport, and optional trips.

For travel, the academy publishes information relevant to student commuting, including material on discounted rail travel for 11 to 16 students. That is a good prompt to check realistic journey times and winter reliability, especially for families travelling across the High Peak.

• Performance profile and recovery stage. GCSE measures and Progress 8 still indicate outcomes below England average. The inspection improvement in 2025 is encouraging, but families should ask how classroom consistency is being secured across all subjects.

• Competitive entry. With 126 applications for 50 offers on the Year 7 route in the data provided, competition for places is the limiting factor. Have a realistic Plan B and be ready for admissions timelines.

• Faith is integrated, not optional. The Catholic character is expressed through chaplaincy structures, liturgy, and year group saint framing. Many families will welcome that; others may prefer a less explicitly faith-shaped environment.

• Post 16 transition needs early planning. With no sixth form on site, choices at 16 will involve external providers and, for some students, travel. Start exploring pathways before Year 11.

St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy is a school in a clear improvement phase, with a strong recent inspection profile and a distinctive Catholic life and chaplaincy structure that gives students multiple ways to lead, serve, and belong. It suits families who want an explicitly faith-informed school culture, who value structured pastoral systems, and who are willing to engage actively with post 16 planning. Admission is the obstacle; the education is steadily strengthening.