Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School Review 2026: a faith-centred 11 to 16 in Colne

On Gibfield Road in Waterside, Colne, Ss John Fisher and Thomas More has been in a period of change, with students explicitly looking ahead to new buildings and facilities as part of the school’s wider improvement story.

This is a state secondary school for boys and girls aged 11 to 16 in Colne, Lancashire, with a published capacity of 800. It is a Roman Catholic school, and that identity sits in the foreground: faith, worship and service are not add-ons. The most recent graded Ofsted inspection rated the school Requires Improvement.

A school’s culture often shows itself in the words it chooses for itself. Here, the motto is Fides · Labore · Caritas (Faith, Work, Love), and it is reflected in how Catholic life is organised day to day: regular prayer, assemblies rooted in scripture, and a rhythm of Mass and liturgy across the year.

Belonging is also engineered through a structured House system. Students are placed into one of four Houses named after the patron saints of the United Kingdom: St Andrew, St David, St George and St Patrick. Forms are named after UK cathedral cities (including Ayr, Glasgow, Cardiff, Swansea, Liverpool, Westminster, Belfast and Derry), and weekly House tables track points, attendance, merits and reading. It gives school life a clear internal narrative, especially for children who like structure and visible milestones.

The picture on safety and relationships is reassuring. Students are described as largely happy to attend, with bullying concerns addressed quickly when raised and a strong sense that there is a trusted adult to talk to. The counterweight is consistency: some disruption has been reported in a minority of lessons, so the experience can vary by classroom and by how firmly routines are held.

GCSE results

Ranked 3,190th in England and 2nd in Colne for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results sit below England average overall.

The underlying measures point to the same direction of travel. Attainment 8 is 41.6, and Progress 8 is -0.45, which indicates students make less progress on average than pupils with similar starting points nationally. The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) profile is also relatively small on published outcomes: the average EBacc points score is 3.29 (England average: 4.08) and 1.9% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc suite.

If you are comparing local options, it is worth using FindMySchool’s local comparison tools to view Attainment 8 and Progress 8 side by side with other nearby secondaries, rather than relying on a single headline.

Curriculum shape

The curriculum is set out clearly as a Key Stage 3 foundation (Years 7 to 9) and Key Stage 4 examination courses (Years 10 to 11). In Year 7, the intake studies a full spread that includes English, maths, science, RE, PSHCE and PE, alongside subjects such as Spanish, geography, history, computer science, music, art, drama, food and graphics. It is a broad start, which matters in a school that serves a wide range of prior attainment.

At Key Stage 4, the school describes its offer as traditional, with most students studying nine or more GCSEs, alongside some vocational options. Physical Education at Key Stage 4 includes the Pearson Edexcel BTEC Tech Award in Sport, which can suit students who learn well through applied assessment and coaching style feedback.

Reading, vocabulary and checking learning

Reading is treated as a whole-school priority rather than a single-department concern. Students in Years 7 and 8 use Accelerated Reader, and the wider approach includes Bedrock Learning, with clear weekly expectations and targeted support for students who need to catch up. That matters for outcomes across the board: reading fluency is the quiet lever behind improvement in humanities, science and extended writing.

The current teaching focus is on checking what students know before moving on, and on using assessment information to spot misconceptions earlier. Where this is done well, it supports a calmer classroom and a more confident pace. Where it is uneven, weaker understanding can linger and behaviour can be harder to manage, particularly in mixed-ability groups.

With no sixth form on site, Year 11 is a genuine transition point. Careers guidance therefore needs to be practical rather than aspirational, and the school’s published careers content takes that approach: it explains pathways from 16 to 18 (A-levels, T-levels, apprenticeships and other college routes), and it directly addresses what happens if a student needs to resit English or maths.

There is also evidence of structured encounters with local providers. The careers programme includes themed weeks (such as National Careers Week and National Apprenticeship Week), careers interviews, and links to college experiences including taster days with Nelson and Colne College and Burnley College. For students who do best when choices are broken down into steps and deadlines, that scaffolding can reduce stress in the spring and summer of Year 11.

Routes and criteria

Admissions for Year 7 are coordinated through Lancashire’s local authority process, but as a Catholic voluntary aided school, Ss John Fisher and Thomas More also uses a supplementary faith form so that governors can apply the published criteria accurately. The oversubscription criteria prioritise looked-after children, then Catholic children (with sub-categories linked to contributory parishes, associated Catholic primary schools and siblings), followed by other looked-after children, children of staff in specific circumstances, and then other Christian and wider categories, with siblings and other applicants thereafter.

Where categories are tied, the tie-break is distance measured as a straight line between the home address point and the school.

Timeline and practicalities

Demand is high. In the most recent admissions snapshot available, there were 532 applications for 177 offers, around 3.01 applications per place, so the margin for error on paperwork and timing is slim. Families considering a faith application should treat the supplementary form as essential admin, not an optional extra.

The local authority timetable follows the statutory autumn deadline and spring offers pattern each year, with late applications reducing the likelihood of securing a preferred school. FindMySchool Map Search can also help families sense-check journeys and realistic alternatives from their own postcode while they build a shortlist.

Safety, support and trusted adults

The safeguarding picture is strong, and students are described as knowing who to go to if something is wrong. Bullying concerns are taken seriously when reported, and most students say they feel safe. That sort of baseline matters because it is the foundation for learning, especially for students who arrive anxious or who have struggled with friendships at primary.

Behaviour, consistency and SEND

Behaviour is generally described as good, with a continuing challenge around low-level disruption in some lessons. The school has refined its behaviour policy and consulted staff as part of that work, with improved use of behaviour information to target support for students who struggle to regulate.

On special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the direction is towards clearer identification and better information for teachers, supported by a more tailored approach in class. The goal is straightforward: consistent adaptations so that students with additional needs can access the same curriculum, not a diluted version. Where staff have the right information and training, the experience is stronger; where implementation is still bedding in, progress can be uneven.

Sport and house competition

Extra-curricular sport is visible and frequent, with clubs and teams running across the week. The published programme includes activities such as badminton, basketball, table tennis, cricket, rugby and football, including girls’ football, alongside cheerleading. For many families, this matters as much for routine as for fitness: a predictable club timetable can be the difference between drifting after school and staying anchored.

House competition is another strong pillar. Inter-house events run through the year, ranging from sport (including glow in the dark dodgeball and mixed netball) to subject challenges (for example, maths, English, history, geography and modern foreign languages), plus cultural moments like a House talent contest. It is a simple mechanism, but it can be powerful for motivation, especially for students who respond well to belonging and friendly rivalry.

Catholic life and service

Catholic life is organised with student leadership rather than left solely to staff. The GIFT Team (Growing in Faith Together) brings students from all year groups into worship and charity work, including Advent and Lent liturgies and involvement in the school’s Feast Day Mass. There is also a consistent outward-facing strand through fundraising and collections, with named links to charities including CAFOD and local causes supported through the Houses.

For Catholic families, the practical implication is clear: faith is part of the school week, not simply a label. For families who are less observant, the key question is comfort level with that rhythm, and whether a child will feel included while it is happening around them.

The school day

Students are expected on site by 8.30am for an 8.35am registration, and the school day finishes at 3.00pm. Breakfast is served from 8.00am to 8.30am, which is useful for families juggling early starts and older siblings.

Lunch runs 1.10pm to 1.50pm, and the school uses a cashless system; there is a daily spend limit of £10 by default.

Transport & parking

As a Colne school serving Pendle and the wider Lancashire area, journeys can be a mix of walking, bus and car lifts depending on where you live. Colne railway station is the closest rail link for families coming in from further afield. For drivers, it is sensible to plan for surrounding streets rather than assuming a dedicated parent drop-off car park, especially when after-school clubs extend the end-of-day rush.

Admission is competitive. With 532 applications for 177 offers, competition for places is the limiting factor. Families considering this route should be realistic about the odds and organised about deadlines.

Faith criteria matter. This is a Catholic school with a faith-based admissions process, including a supplementary faith form to support applications under religious criteria. For some families this will feel natural; for others it is a clear extra layer of admin and evidence.

Outcomes point to improvement work still underway. GCSE measures sit below England average overall, with Progress 8 at -0.45. A child who needs close checking and consistent routines may benefit from careful conversations about support, especially around reading and SEND adaptations.

Consistency between classrooms can be the difference-maker. Behaviour is broadly described as good, but low-level disruption has been reported in some lessons. Families with a child who is easily distracted should probe how behaviour systems are applied day to day.

Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School is a faith-forward 11 to 16 in Colne, shaped by a clear Catholic mission and a strong internal structure through Houses, charity and student leadership. There is an improvement story in motion, with renewed systems, reading as a priority, and a visible push for stronger consistency.

Best suited to families who want a Catholic education with prayer, worship and service woven through the week, and who value House identity and structured routines. The challenge lies in admission rather than what follows, and families should weigh the academic measures carefully against the school’s current improvement work and their child’s learning needs.