Saint Claudine’s Catholic School for Girls Review 2026: A Catholic comprehensive with strong progress and a clear sense of purpose

For families who want a Catholic girls’ secondary with a sixth form, this school offers a settled, community-minded experience with a strong emphasis on ambition and care. External evaluation describes a safe, warm environment, where staff move quickly to support pupils who need extra help.

Academically, GCSE outcomes sit around the middle of the pack in England on the FindMySchool ranking, but progress measures are a clear strength, suggesting pupils typically move forward well from their starting points. Sixth form outcomes are more mixed, so students and families should look closely at subject choices, entry requirements, and the support available for study habits and independent learning.

A strong Catholic identity frames daily life, but the intake is broad and the tone is inclusive. The most recent school inspection describes a caring community where pupils feel safe, with relationships that make it easier for students to ask for help and receive it quickly.

Pastoral structures lean on practical, visible mechanisms rather than slogans. The inspection report highlights the Big Sister mentoring scheme and student parliament as routes for older pupils to support younger peers and contribute to school life. Those kinds of roles matter in a busy inner-London context because they provide recognition for character and service, not only for academic attainment.

Leadership has had time to embed priorities. The current headteacher is Dr Louise McGowan, and the inspection record notes that a new headteacher started in September 2017, followed by changes to leadership roles as the school developed its approach.

At GCSE level, the school’s outcomes sit in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), based on its FindMySchool ranking position. Specifically, it ranks 1607th in England and 13th in Brent for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

The Attainment 8 score is 47.6. The Progress 8 score is 0.8, which indicates well above average progress from pupils’ starting points. EBacc depth is a weaker indicator with 19% achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc suite and an EBacc average point score of 4.38.

For families, the key implication is this: outcomes are not purely about raw attainment. The progress figure suggests the school is effective at moving pupils forward, which can matter particularly for students arriving with varied prior attainment or joining mid-year.

In the sixth form, A-level outcomes look less competitive on the FindMySchool ranking: ranked 2230th in England and 11th in Brent for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). The share of grades at A* to B is 29.3%, and A* results are 0.64%.

This does not automatically mean the sixth form is the wrong choice. It does mean families should ask sharper questions about subject availability, teaching continuity, supervised study, and how the school supports independent learning, especially for students aiming for the most competitive courses.

Curriculum work is described as a deliberate development rather than a static offer. The latest inspection notes that leaders expanded the range of subjects and qualifications, citing creative arts and computing as areas of focus, with plans to extend computing through the school and into post-16 study.

The model is broadly comprehensive: pupils follow the same core curriculum, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. A particularly practical feature is how the school responds to mid-year arrivals, with quick assessment and targeted language teaching where needed so pupils can access the curriculum alongside peers.

Quality assurance appears strongest where subject sequencing is most explicit. The inspection report identifies that in some subjects, learning is not yet ordered and revisited precisely enough for deep long-term retention, and that leaders had already identified this as a development priority.

For parents, the useful takeaway is to ask, subject by subject, what improvement looks like in practice: common assessments, shared curriculum resources, and routines for retrieval and recap.

The sixth form narrative is centred on guidance and next steps. The most recent inspection describes sixth formers as especially positive about the help they receive in choosing what comes after school.

Destination data for the 2023/24 leavers cohort shows that 68% progressed to university, 4% to further education, 2% to apprenticeships, and 15% to employment.

On Oxbridge, the dataset records five Oxford applications and three offers in the measured cycle, with no recorded acceptances in that cycle. The implication is that aspiration exists and offers are being secured, but families with highly selective university plans should look carefully at subject combinations, predicted grades, and the track record within the specific department a student is applying from.

If you are comparing post-16 options locally, the FindMySchool Local Hub and comparison tools are useful for viewing sixth form outcomes side by side, especially when you want to separate headline grades from the progress and support story.

Year 7 admissions are co-ordinated by the local authority. For September 2026 entry, Brent’s published timeline lists applications opening on 01 September 2025 and closing on 31 October 2025, with offers on 02 March 2026 and responses due by 16 March 2026.

As a Catholic school, faith criteria matter. The local authority’s secondary admissions handbook summarises that a Supplementary Information Form is required and outlines priority for baptised Catholic applicants with a Certificate of Catholic Practice, before other Christian applicants and then other faith or other applicants, with distance acting as a tie-break where relevant.

Families should treat the Supplementary Information Form as a core part of the application, not an optional extra. Diocesan guidance also stresses the importance of checking the school’s required forms and deadlines in good time.

Demand signals vary by year. In the most recent published local authority allocation data referenced in the handbook, 180 applications were recorded for the school and 94 offers were made by National Offer Day, with the school shown as oversubscribed in that dataset.

If you are applying from outside the usual feeder patterns, use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your realistic position against the criteria and historic allocation patterns, bearing in mind that allocations shift year to year.

Pastoral support is a clear emphasis in formal evaluations. The latest inspection describes effective safeguarding arrangements, staff trained to recognise and report concerns, and a culture where pupils feel confident to speak to staff and receive help.

Support is not only referral-based. The inspection report notes on-site pastoral help such as school-based counsellors, alongside planning in assemblies and personal, social, health and economic education so pupils learn how to stay safe.

For families, the practical question is how support is accessed in day-to-day life: drop-in availability, escalation routes, and how parents are brought into planning when a pupil needs more structured help.

The broader culture, as described in inspection evidence, is one where behaviour is typically calm and issues are addressed quickly, with bullying handled effectively. That matters for learning time, but it also sets the tone for how safe it feels to participate in class, take on leadership roles, and commit to extracurriculars.

The co-curricular offer is best understood as participation plus responsibility. External evaluation points to many opportunities designed to help pupils become active citizens, with older pupils supporting younger pupils and formal roles available through student parliament.

The named Big Sister mentoring scheme is a useful indicator of how the school tries to build relationships across year groups. It can also be an entry point for quieter pupils to find a place in the community, because leadership is not limited to the most confident speakers.

Beyond leadership roles, the inspection record references a wide selection of clubs and activities, as well as opportunities through music, sport, and performances.

Because the school’s own website content is not accessible for verification in this review, families should request the current clubs list for the relevant year group and check what is genuinely timetabled week to week, not only what appears as a headline.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual costs associated with secondary education, including uniform, trips, and optional activities.

Published information confirms the school operates from a multi-floor site, and the local authority handbook notes restricted physical accessibility with stairs over four floors and no lift access. This is an important consideration for pupils or visitors with mobility needs.

Breakfast club and after-school provision are indicated in local authority published information, but families should check current timings and eligibility directly with the school, as schedules can change across the year.

• Sixth form outcomes are mixed. The A-level ranking sits in the lower-performing band in England. Students aiming for very competitive university courses should ask detailed questions about subject-level support, supervised study, and expectations for independent work.

• Curriculum sequencing is still being tightened in some subjects. External evaluation highlights that not all subjects are equally well sequenced for long-term retention. Families may want to ask what has changed since 2022 and how consistency is checked.

• Catholic admissions process is form-heavy. A Supplementary Information Form is required, and evidence such as a Certificate of Catholic Practice can materially affect priority. Organisation matters as much as preference order.

• Accessibility constraints may affect some pupils. The site is described as having stairs across multiple floors without lift access in local authority documentation, which may be a practical barrier for some families.

This is a Catholic girls’ secondary with a clear pastoral spine and evidence of strong pupil progress at GCSE. It suits families who value a faith-informed ethos, a supportive culture, and a school that works hard to help pupils move forward from their starting points. For students considering sixth form, it is worth weighing subject fit and study support carefully, especially where top A-level grades are a priority.