Saint John Bosco College Review 2026: A Catholic secondary with a defined Sixth Form pathway and specialist autism support

Purpose-built and Catholic in identity, Saint John Bosco College has been operating from its current Battersea site since 2015, with the school itself opening in 2011.

The leadership picture is stable. Paul Dunne has been Headteacher since 01 January 2017, a tenure long enough to embed consistent routines, pastoral structures, and a clear approach to inclusion.

Parents considering this school tend to be weighing three things at once. First, a faith-informed ethos shaped by Salesian tradition and the school’s stated RUAH values (Respect, Understanding, Affection and Humour). Second, a mainstream secondary experience that also includes a dedicated autism resource base, Savio, for students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) where autism and associated communication needs are the prime need. Third, a Sixth Form with both Level 3 and Level 2 routes, plus a structured Access Oxbridge offer for high academic potential.

Saint John Bosco College presents itself as a Catholic community rather than simply a Catholic school. The language used across its published materials is consistent, it emphasises dignity, respect, and a deliberate moral and spiritual frame for school life, with RUAH used as the shorthand for its day-to-day values. That clarity matters for families. For some it will feel affirming and coherent; for others it can feel like a stronger expectation of buy-in than they want from a state school.

The atmosphere described in official reporting is one of calm expectations rather than showmanship. Students are expected to work hard and behave sensibly, with a general sense of pride in the school and an emphasis on feeling safe. A vertical tutor structure is used so that older pupils look out for younger pupils, which is an important practical mechanism in a large 11 to 18 community.

Inclusion is not treated as an add-on. The school is mainstream, but it also operates resourced SEND provision, including an autism resource base and specialist support models. The Savio resource base description is unusually specific, it sets out who it is for, what support looks like (including speech and language support, social groups, quiet study areas, and small-group intervention), and who it is not designed to serve. That clarity is helpful to families making EHCP decisions because it reduces the risk of mismatched expectations.

This review uses FindMySchool rankings and metrics for outcomes, and external research for school context such as inspection findings, leadership, and admissions.

At GCSE, Saint John Bosco College is ranked 2,827th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 18th in Wandsworth. This reflects performance below England average when placed across the national distribution, rather than a top-quartile profile. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 44, and Progress 8 is +0.17, which indicates students make slightly above-average progress from their starting points even where headline attainment is not at the very highest levels. (FindMySchool data.)

The EBacc average point score is 3.69, compared with an England average of 4.08, which aligns with the wider picture that EBacc breadth is not the school’s defining strength at GCSE. (FindMySchool data.)

In the Sixth Form, outcomes also sit in the below-average national band. Ranked 2,080th in England and 13th in Wandsworth for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the sixth form performance profile is better understood as a broad-access route with multiple pathways rather than a narrowly academic, top-grade specialist. (FindMySchool data.)

Grade distribution is as follows: A* at 1.2%, A at 14.6%, and A* to B at 30.3%. The England averages are 23.6% for A* to A and 47.2% for A* to B, reinforcing that the sixth form outcomes are not currently positioned as top-tier by national comparison. (FindMySchool data.)

The curriculum offer is broad on paper. At Key Stage 3, pupils study a full spread of subjects including English, Maths, Science, Religious Education, Design Technology, Computing, Physical Education, Geography, History, Modern Foreign Languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese), Music and Art. At Key Stage 4, options listed include a mix of academic and applied courses such as Sociology, Psychology, Hospitality and Catering, Creative iMedia, plus the expected core.

In practice, the strongest account of teaching quality comes from the structure described in the latest official inspection evidence. Teaching is characterised by careful sequencing in stronger subjects, with teachers using demanding questioning and maintaining lesson flow so learning is generally uninterrupted. Literacy is treated as a cross-school priority, with subject vocabulary explicitly taught and students coached in accurate writing.

There are also two important nuances for parents to understand. First, curriculum strength is not fully even across subjects, with some weaker consistency in how well learning builds over time. Second, while SEND support is a clear priority, curriculum adaptations are not consistently strong in every subject area, which can lead to a minority of students with SEND losing focus when needs are not met reliably. These points do not negate the school’s inclusive intent, but they do shape the day-to-day experience for students who rely on consistent adaptation.

For families thinking about post-16 and post-18 pathways, Saint John Bosco College provides two strands of evidence.

First, the Sixth Form structure is intentionally mixed. The school explicitly offers Level 3 and Level 2 routes, and sets out requirements for September 2026 entry. Level 3 requires six GCSEs at grades 5 to 9 including English and Maths. Level 2 is framed as a bridge, with a four-day academic timetable and one day of work experience, alongside expectations around English and Maths resits or functional skills depending on prior attainment.

Second, for high academic potential, the school runs an Access Oxbridge programme, positioned as a seminar and speaker-led route that introduces students to graduates from Oxbridge and Russell Group universities across areas including Law, Medicine and STEAM. Internal students are invited at the end of Year 10 with a stated expectation of aiming for at least six GCSEs at grade 7 or above including English and Maths to progress through the later stages of the programme.

On published destination outcomes the 2023/24 leaver cohort shows 62% progressing to university, 23% into employment, and 4% into apprenticeships. (FindMySchool data.) Oxbridge outcomes show two applications and one acceptance in the measurement period. (FindMySchool data.) In a comprehensive, mixed-intake context, that is best read as evidence of an identifiable high-attainment pipeline existing within the wider cohort, rather than an Oxbridge-heavy culture across the whole sixth form.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through your home local authority via the Common Application Form, with Wandsworth’s published timetable for September 2026 entry opening on 01 September 2025 and closing on 31 October 2025.

Because this is a Catholic voluntary aided school, supplementary paperwork matters for many applicants. The school’s admissions policy for September 2026 entry states that families who want the governors to apply the faith-based criteria should submit the Supplementary Information Form by 31 October 2025. It also sets out that proof such as baptismal documentation and a diocesan certificate of Catholic practice may be used for Catholic criteria.

Demand is high relative to places in the available dataset. For the most recent Year 7 admissions snapshot provided, there were 262 applications and 132 offers, which is close to two applications per place, and the school is categorised as oversubscribed. (FindMySchool data.) With oversubscription, families should treat open events and clear documentation as essential, and they should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check travel practicality and keep an eye on local alternatives, especially if faith criteria will not apply to their application.

Open events are clearly advertised. For the September 2026 Year 7 intake, the school held an Open Evening on Tuesday 16 September 2025, plus Open Mornings later in September and October, and it also offers daily tours at 9.00am during the school year. For families applying after those dates, tours become the practical route, and open events typically cluster in September and October.

Pastoral care is one of the school’s strongest stated priorities, and it is framed as part of the Catholic mission rather than an add-on. The RUAH values are explicitly defined in school policy material, and they place relationships and “holy cheerfulness” alongside respect and understanding.

The most recent Ofsted inspection (6 and 7 October 2022) confirmed the school remains Good, and judged safeguarding effective.

More practically, the mechanisms behind wellbeing are clear. A vertical tutor model supports peer oversight, and the curriculum includes a broad personal, social and health education programme covering online safety, healthy relationships and wider modern life themes. Careers education is also described as a strength across the school, which is often a good proxy for how seriously a school takes life after Year 11 and Year 13.

Extracurricular life is framed around both enrichment and belonging, with particular emphasis on ensuring access for all pupils rather than a narrow “elite teams only” model. The October 2022 inspection evidence highlights a spread that includes computer coding, chess and a debating society, plus sport, with the key point being that pupils across the school can access these opportunities.

Within Sixth Form, enrichment is more structured and more explicitly tied to progression. Examples include the Adopt a Teacher Programme, which places sixth form students into weekly support roles for Key Stage 3 or 4 groups, as well as volunteering via Royal Voluntary Service routes. This is a practical mechanism for leadership development and also reinforces the school’s emphasis on service within the community.

There is also a distinctive strand of speaker-led academic and careers exposure. Bosco Discovery Talks appear as an established series, and Access Oxbridge is positioned as a seminar and discourse programme designed to extend academic horizons and cultural capital. Together, these initiatives suggest a sixth form that is aiming to make professional networks and high-demand pathways more accessible to students who may not otherwise have that exposure through family networks.

The school day starts at 8.35am and finishes at 3.00pm Monday to Thursday, with a 2.10pm finish on Fridays. Students can be on site from 8.00am, and organised after-school activities run until 4.30pm.

For travel, the school positions itself as close to Clapham Junction, which is relevant for families commuting across Wandsworth and neighbouring boroughs.

• Oversubscription pressure. With 262 applications for 132 offers in the available snapshot, admission is competitive. Families should plan for realistic alternatives in the same travel zone. (FindMySchool data.)

• EBacc language take-up. Official inspection evidence notes that relatively few pupils study modern foreign languages at Key Stage 4, which can limit EBacc outcomes. Families who prioritise a strong language culture should explore how languages are timetabled and promoted beyond Key Stage 3.

• Consistency for students with SEND. Savio and wider inclusion work are clear strengths, but curriculum adaptation is not equally strong in every subject area. For EHCP families, the key question is how consistently subject teachers implement adaptations day to day.

• Faith expectations. The Catholic identity is central, including the use of supplementary forms and Catholic practice documentation for admissions criteria. Families should be comfortable with a faith-shaped culture in assemblies, curriculum, and community life.

Saint John Bosco College is best understood as a Catholic, community-facing secondary where pastoral structures and inclusion are taken seriously, supported by a clear values framework and a defined autism resource base. Academic outcomes sit below England average overall, but Progress 8 indicates students can make above-average progress, and the sixth form provides both academic and vocational routes with targeted stretch for high-potential students.

Who it suits: families seeking a state-funded Catholic secondary in Battersea with structured pastoral care and a credible SEND offer, including EHCP-based autism provision, plus a sixth form pathway that accommodates different starting points and aspirations.