Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy Review 2026: Catholic secondary with a growing post-16 pathway

A school that positions personal formation alongside qualifications, and backs that up with visible structures around Catholic life, safeguarding, and character education. The current campus story matters here: the school highlights its 50-year identity and presents itself as “inspiring students since 1973”, while also navigating the practical realities of operating as a newer academy entity following conversion in April 2023.

Leadership is currently described as interim on the school website. Mrs Lorraine Henderson is listed as the headteacher or principal on the government register, and the website presents her as Acting Headteacher. An appointment start date is not published in the sources reviewed.

For outcomes, GCSE performance sits broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England, while sixth form outcomes sit below England average overall on the available grade distribution. The school remains a popular local option for families seeking a faith-based secondary with a clear progression route through to Year 13.

The school’s public messaging is direct about its Catholic identity. The admissions policy makes clear that Catholic doctrine and practice are expected to permeate school life, and it asks families to support the Catholic character of the education, regardless of whether they are Catholic themselves. That framing is important for parental fit: families who want a strong faith ethos will recognise what is being offered, and those who prefer a more lightly faith-framed experience should read the admissions documentation carefully before applying.

Pastoral language is a consistent thread. The school highlights a culture where “every child is known” and links that to behaviour expectations and daily routines. Those claims are reinforced by the way personal development is described across documents: structured prayer and liturgy opportunities, chaplaincy activity, and a deliberate emphasis on respect, dignity, and service.

A notable feature is the way wellbeing is described through practical mechanisms, not just values. Published materials reference specific support spaces and approaches, including the Oasis Room and the Nelson Mandela Centre, alongside a wider emphasis on trauma-aware practice and mental health recognition. This suggests a school trying to make its inclusion offer legible to parents and students, which can be reassuring for families who want clarity about how support is organised.

At GCSE, the school’s FindMySchool ranking is 2,704th in England for GCSE outcomes and 1st locally in Ellesmere Port. This reflects solid performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). These are proprietary FindMySchool rankings based on official data.

On headline measures, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 40.5, and Progress 8 is -0.47. The EBacc average point score is 3.57 compared with an England figure of 4.08. The percentage achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc is 13.

For many families, the key implication of that profile is this: attainment is credible, but there is work to do to secure consistently strong progress from starting points, particularly for students who benefit from tightly sequenced subject delivery and high consistency across departments.

The most recent full Ofsted inspection (June 2021) judged the school Requires Improvement overall, with Good judgements for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision.

In the sixth form, the FindMySchool A-level ranking is 1,714th in England and 1st locally in Ellesmere Port. This places outcomes below England average overall (bottom 40% of providers by rank). These are proprietary FindMySchool rankings based on official data.

On grade distribution, 2.86% of grades are A*, 9.52% are A, 29.52% are B, and 41.9% are A* to B. The England averages provided for comparison are 23.6% at A* to A and 47.2% at A* to B. For parents weighing sixth form, the implication is straightforward: students who need very high A-level grades for the most competitive pathways should ask detailed questions about subject-level performance and support, while many students will find a viable route into a range of universities and apprenticeships, particularly where course choice matches strengths and engagement.

Curriculum intent is framed around breadth and depth, with a clear statement that Year 7 covers a wide academic base including English, mathematics, sciences, humanities, languages, and the arts. The school positions applied learning visits and residential experiences as part of the learning model rather than add-ons, which can suit students who learn best when classroom content is connected to experiences beyond lessons.

The practical challenge, based on formal reporting, is consistency across subjects. The school has described training and subject planning as priorities, and the sixth form is presented as more consistently planned and delivered. For families, the best way to test fit is to ask how teaching quality is monitored subject-by-subject, what intervention looks like if a student falls behind, and how the school supports lower prior attainers to access ambitious content without being overwhelmed.

Where Students Go Next

Because destination statistics are not published provided, the most useful evidence here is qualitative and named destinations from the school’s own materials.

A Year 13 destinations presentation for 2025 lists a wide mix of pathways. Universities include the University of Liverpool, University of Chester, Liverpool John Moores University, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Leeds, University of Lancaster, Keele University, University of Sunderland, Liverpool Hope University, Coventry University, and LIPA for music. The same document includes apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships, plus a small number of students taking gap years or moving directly into employment.

For many families, the implication is positive: there is visible traction across local and regional universities, and the school is comfortable presenting non-university routes. Students aiming for competitive degrees should still ask about course-specific preparation, predicted grade support, and how personal statements and references are handled, but the published destination mix suggests the school is thinking in terms of multiple “successful outcomes”, not a single definition of success.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Admission to Year 7 is coordinated through the local authority, and the school’s own Year 7 admissions page states the Cheshire West and Chester closing date as 31 October for the normal application round.

As a Catholic school, admissions criteria matter. The 2026 to 2027 admissions policy sets a Published Admissions Number of 180 for Year 7 and outlines a faith-prioritised oversubscription order, starting with looked-after and previously looked-after children, then Catholic children from named feeder Catholic primaries, then other Catholic children, then catechumens and members of Eastern Christian churches, then non-Catholic children from named feeder Catholic primaries, then children of other Christian denominations and other faiths, then any other children. Within each category, priority can be increased for children of staff, siblings, and children of UK service personnel, with distance used as a tie-breaker.

The practical implication is that families who want faith-based priority should expect to complete the supplementary form and provide the required evidence where relevant, and families applying under non-faith criteria should be realistic about the possibility of being ranked behind faith-prioritised applicants when the year group is oversubscribed.

Sixth form admissions are handled differently. The school’s published policy indicates a sixth form capacity of 200 overall, with 100 places in Year 12 for external applicants, subject to internal transfer numbers. For 2026 entry, the closing date stated is 28 February 2026. Minimum entry is stated as at least 5 GCSE passes at grade 4 or above, with most subjects typically requiring at least grade 5 in the subject or a related subject, and a high grade 6 noted for maths and physics.

Open events are referenced via an “Open Evening Presentation” and related transition materials. The available evidence suggests open evenings typically sit in the early autumn term, and families should check the school’s current calendar for the exact date and booking arrangements.

Pastoral provision is presented as a central organising principle. The school’s documentation places wellbeing, safeguarding, and personal development on a similar footing to academic learning, and it references structured approaches including counselling and wellbeing drop-ins alongside a broader “attachment friendly and trauma aware” framing. The school also references initiatives that connect wellbeing support with practical opportunities such as volunteering and community engagement, which can help some students build confidence and routine.

SEND support is described through dedicated structures and named spaces in published materials, including the Oasis Room and the Nelson Mandela Centre. For parents, the key questions to ask at visit stage are pragmatic: how support plans are implemented in lessons, how communication works with families, and how the school handles transitions, particularly into Year 7 and into Key Stage 4 option choices.

The strongest extracurricular story here is that the offer is framed as part of personal development rather than a bolt-on list. For example, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is described with a full pathway from Bronze in Year 9 through to Gold from age 16, including a detailed school-based expedition skills training programme and volunteering options. This is a concrete “character through action” route: students build reliability, teamwork, and problem-solving, and many also use the experience to strengthen applications for post-16 and post-18 pathways.

Clubs mentioned across school materials include Robotics, Debating club, Drama club, Music club, Arts club, Science club, Eco Club, Chess Club, and School Council involvement. The implication for parents is that students who need a structured reason to stay after school can find purposeful options, while students with a clear interest, such as performance, engineering, or public speaking, can build depth over time.

STEM

STEM is treated as a distinct pillar, not only through curriculum but also via awards and enrichment. The school references a Bronze STEM award and positions it as part of a progression journey. Alongside this, STEM Club is explicitly referenced in transition materials for new starters. For students who enjoy building and problem-solving, Robotics plus STEM enrichment can become a meaningful through-line from Year 7 into option choices, and into sixth form subject selection where relevant.

Facilities are described with practical specificity. Published materials reference a refurbished library, a sports hall, outdoor sports fields, catering pods, and a Connect Hub that includes animals used to support emotional regulation. For families, this matters because it suggests the school is thinking about regulation and readiness-to-learn as part of the environment, not only as a behaviour policy issue.

The school’s published timings indicate 8:00am to 3:45pm Monday to Thursday and 8:00am to 3:30pm Friday. Families should confirm the precise lesson start time and any breakfast supervision arrangements directly with the school, as published timings can refer to the broader school day rather than the first taught period.

For travel, the school’s directions page states that the closest rail station is Overpool, and it references bus services including numbers 401, 1, and 3 serving the local area.

Parents comparing options locally can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to view GCSE and A-level outcomes side-by-side using the Comparison Tool, then shortlist based on fit and travel time as well as performance.

• Inspection recency. The most recent full inspection information available is from June 2021. A lot can change in school improvement over several years, so families should prioritise current evidence from visits and recent school communications as well as published reports.

• Catholic admissions priorities. Faith-based oversubscription is clearly defined, including feeder primary links and evidence requirements. Families applying under Catholic criteria should ensure paperwork is complete and on time; families applying outside those criteria should be realistic in oversubscribed years.

• Sixth form entry bar. Minimum GCSE requirements are clearly stated, with higher subject thresholds for some courses. Students planning to join from outside the school should treat the Year 12 deadline and course requirements as firm and plan contingencies.

• Progress profile at GCSE. A Progress 8 score below zero can indicate that some cohorts make less progress than similar students nationally. Families with a child who needs consistent scaffolding should ask how the school secures consistency across departments and how intervention is delivered.

Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy will suit families who want a clear Catholic ethos, structured personal development, and a coherent pathway through to Year 13. Academic outcomes are mixed across phases: GCSE outcomes sit around the middle of England schools on the available ranking and measures, while sixth form outcomes look more variable on grade distribution. The key practical question is fit: students who respond well to strong pastoral framing, structured character programmes such as Duke of Edinburgh, and a clear faith identity are likely to do well here, while those seeking the highest-attaining sixth form routes should probe subject-level performance and support in detail before committing.