St Michael's Church of England High School, Chorley Review 2026: High-demand 11 to 16 with strong Progress 8 and a distinctive tutorial system

A busy, faith-rooted 11 to 16 secondary where routines, expectations, and student responsibility are clearly built into daily life. The tutorial system is not a bolt-on, it shapes pastoral oversight and the school’s character, including “patrons” attached to each tutorial group and a specialist music tutorial group (Hughes) for committed performers.

On outcomes, GCSE performance sits comfortably above England norms in several core measures, and the Progress 8 figure is notably positive. In FindMySchool’s GCSE rankings (based on official data), it is ranked 710th in England and 1st in Chorley, placing it within the top 25% of schools in England for GCSE outcomes.

Demand is a defining feature. For Year 7 entry, there were 708 applications for 225 offers in the latest available admissions data, which equates to 3.15 applications per place. Oversubscription is therefore the baseline, not the exception, and it interacts with the school’s Church of England admissions pathway, including a supplementary form for those seeking priority under faith criteria.

The school’s public-facing language is explicit about being a Church of England school within the Diocese of Blackburn, and this is visible in how the day is structured. Registration time is used for a mix of registration, “Living Education”, worship, and assemblies, signalling that personal development and collective rhythm are treated as core rather than peripheral.

Leadership is current and clearly presented. Mrs Rachel Rongong is named as headteacher, and she introduced herself to families as the new headteacher in a letter dated 06 January 2025.

Pastoral oversight is designed to be consistent over time. Pupils are placed into tutorial groups on entry, they usually remain with that group for the full five years, and tutors meet their groups each morning. The model is practical, a tutor is positioned as the first point of contact, with an explicit brief to hold the bigger picture on progress, wellbeing, and participation.

A second thread running through school life is structured opportunity. The school has invested, over time, in named spaces that are doing double duty as learning and identity markers. The Armstrong Centre combines the library and chapel, and the Trust page also references the Glasshouse dining area alongside wider ICT investment and a first aid suite. These details matter because they show where discretionary funding has gone, and what the school prioritises when it has choice.

The headline here is that GCSE outcomes are consistently strong for a non-selective 11 to 16, supported by a positive Progress 8 measure. Ranked 710th in England and 1st in Chorley for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), performance sits above England average, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

The most useful measures for parents comparing like-for-like are:

• Attainment 8: 59.7

• Progress 8: 0.56, indicating pupils made well above average progress from their starting points

• EBacc average point score: 5.3 (England average: 4.08)

• Percentage achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc: 30.7

This mix suggests a school that does not rely on a narrow top end to look strong. A positive Progress 8 is usually the better indicator of day-to-day teaching consistency because it controls, in aggregate, for prior attainment. The implication for families is that pupils arriving as solid all-rounders are more likely to leave with outcomes that exceed what their Key Stage 2 profile would typically predict.

One practical tip for shortlisting is to use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison view to line up Attainment 8 and Progress 8 against nearby alternatives, rather than relying on reputation alone.

Curriculum intent shows up most clearly in two areas: literacy and subject organisation. The latest inspection report describes a strong culture of reading, with timely support for pupils who find reading difficult, so that they can access the curriculum with confidence.

The school’s own framing of learning includes a structured approach to literacy, linking reading and writing to functional adulthood and later GCSE demands. The value for parents is not the phrasing, it is the direction of travel, a curriculum that sees literacy as foundational across subjects rather than confined to English.

There is also an honest improvement edge that matters. The inspection report notes that, in a minority of subjects, curriculum organisation does not secure breadth and retention as well as it should, and in a small number of subjects assessment is not always used effectively to address misunderstandings before new content is introduced. That kind of pinpointed issue is common in otherwise strong schools, but it is meaningful because it sets expectations: teaching quality may feel notably stronger in some departments than others.

Where Students Go Next

This is an 11 to 16 school, so the key question is how well it prepares students for a post-16 market that is increasingly complex. Careers education is clearly planned across Years 7 to 11, and students are introduced to Unifrog as a platform to structure exploration and applications. The programme is also designed to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks, and it includes encounters with colleges and apprenticeship providers, plus taster experiences for subjects students may not have studied yet, such as Sociology, Psychology, or Law.

The practical implication is that Year 9 options and Year 11 decisions are not treated as isolated events. If your child benefits from staged preparation and structured guidance, this framework is likely to suit. If you want a school with an in-house sixth form, you will need to weigh the transition at 16 and decide whether a college route is a positive step or an unwanted disruption.

Entry is competitive and the process is formal. The school’s published admission number for Year 7 is 225, and families apply through the Local Authority route. The school states that applications for September Year 7 intake are made online between 01 September and 31 October, with the closing date being 31 October of the year prior to admission.

For September 2026 entry specifically, Lancashire’s determined arrangements state that applications should be made online between 01 September 2025 and 31 October 2025.

Because this is a Church of England school, there is a parallel faith pathway. Families seeking consideration under the faith criteria are expected to complete the school’s supplementary form by 31 October, and verification of church attendance is sought from the named vicar or minister.

Demand data reinforces why precision matters. In the latest available admissions data, there were 708 applications for 225 offers, and the entry route is recorded as oversubscribed, at 3.15 applications per place. The implication is straightforward: even strong applications can miss out, and families should be cautious about treating this as a guaranteed local option.

A practical step is to use FindMySchoolMap Search to understand your likely position relative to other applicants and, if relevant, to test scenarios for how oversubscription might play out in different years.

Pastoral systems are explicit rather than implied. The tutorial group is the daily anchor point, tutors are positioned as the first point of contact, and pupil managers sit above that structure with a focus on performance and oversight.

Safeguarding and reporting routes are also described in direct language. The SHARP system is presented as a confidential route to report bullying, abuse, or safety concerns, with a clear statement that harmful behaviour will not be dismissed as banter.

The latest inspection report adds weight to the safeguarding picture, and this is the kind of detail parents can rely on when they are weighing culture as well as results. Inspectors confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular provision is unusually well-specified, and that specificity is a proxy for how embedded these activities are. The 2025 to 2026 club list includes leadership, sport, performing arts, and subject societies, with enough range that students can build a genuine identity beyond lessons.

A few examples illustrate the breadth and the likely “feel” of the offer:

• Music and performance: Armstrong Choir, Big Choir, Chapel Choir (Hughes), Rock and Pop Band, Steel Pans, Strings, Music Theory, plus instrumental lessons. These are not generic labels, they imply a programme where students can join at different levels and still find a place.

• Leadership and service: the Archbishops’ Young Leaders Award and the Social Action Team indicate structured opportunities to build responsibility and contribution, which often suits students who like purposeful activity.

• Academic and cultural societies: Debate Club, History Club, Geography Club, Holocaust Project, Shakespeare for Schools, and MFL Film Club point to a school that expects academic life to extend beyond classroom tasks.

• STEM and digital: STEM Club, Computer Club, Cyber Explorers, Minecraft Club, and Gaming Club offer multiple entry points, from practical computing to interest-led exploration.

• Sport and physical activity: athletics, indoor athletics, cross country, football, netball, badminton, basketball, handball, swimming, tennis, and table tennis, giving both team and individual routes.

The implication for families is that extracurricular life can be used strategically. For some students it is confidence and belonging; for others it is CV-building; for many it is simply the part of school that makes attendance and effort easier to sustain.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

The school day runs from 8:50am to 3:25pm Monday to Thursday, and 8:50am to 2:40pm on Fridays.

On transport, Lancashire County Council manages school bus services, with contracted routes for pupils and public bus options within walking distance. Cycling is supported through on-site bike sheds, and the school encourages families who drive to consider drop-off and pick-up away from the immediate entrances to reduce congestion.

• Oversubscription is the baseline. With 708 applications for 225 offers in the latest available data, competition is built into the admissions picture. Families should keep realistic backup options live through the Local Authority process.

• Faith criteria can be decisive. If you want your application considered under the Church of England criteria, the supplementary form and its supporting evidence matter, and they must be completed by the published deadline.

• Department-to-department experience may vary. The inspection report highlights that, in a minority of subjects, curriculum organisation and assessment practice need tightening. This is worth probing at open events, particularly in subjects your child cares about most.

• No sixth form. Students will transition at 16. For many this is a positive, with broader course choice, but families who want a single 11 to 18 route should factor this in early.

This is a high-demand Church of England secondary with a clear pastoral architecture, strong academic outcomes, and extracurricular provision that is unusually well itemised. The tutorial system, including tutorial patrons and specialist music grouping, gives the school a distinctive texture and a practical framework for consistency across five years.

It best suits families who want a values-led setting with firm routines, strong progress measures, and plenty of structured ways for students to build confidence beyond lessons. The main challenge is securing a place, so the strongest approach is to treat it as a first-choice option while planning a credible second path in parallel.