St Ambrose Barlow RC High School Review 2026, Catholic secondary with improving outcomes and strong personal development

A Catholic secondary in Wardley, Swinton, where the tone is purposeful and relationships are a clear strength. The most recent inspection judged the school Good overall, with Personal Development rated Outstanding, reflecting the emphasis on student leadership, enrichment, and preparation for life after Year 11.

This is also a school with high demand. For Year 7 entry, the latest published admissions data in your dataset shows 422 applications for 208 offers, which equates to around 2.03 applications per place, and confirms the school is oversubscribed. Competition is therefore real, and faith and partner primary links matter in the oversubscription criteria.

Leadership continuity is another defining feature. The headteacher is Ben Davis, who has been in post since July 2015, and the school’s direction is framed through the values of Love, Learn, and Lead.

The school’s public-facing language is explicit about identity: a Catholic community, a strong sense of belonging, and an expectation that students develop as “people for others”, not simply as exam candidates. That shows up in how leadership is described and how enrichment is positioned as part of the core experience, not an optional extra.

Official evidence supports the same broad picture. Students describe positive relationships with staff, and the culture is described as welcoming and values-led, with students feeling safe.

There is also a practical inclusivity element. The school has a specially resourced provision for students with autism, and the inspection describes careful identification of needs and staff training to meet those needs in lessons. This matters for families weighing how well a mainstream school understands day-to-day adjustments, routines, and teaching approaches for neurodiverse learners.

This review uses the performance metrics provided in your dataset for outcomes and rankings.

At GCSE level, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 45.8 and its Progress 8 score is -0.23 in the latest dataset. The EBacc profile is also clearly defined, with an average EBacc APS of 4.0, and 15.9% achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure.

In FindMySchool’s England-wide GCSE ranking (based on official outcomes data, as presented in your dataset), the school is ranked 2004th in England and 41st in the local area (Manchester). That places performance broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), which is consistent with a school that is improving but still has room to close gaps.

The most useful way to interpret these numbers for parents is to read them alongside the current direction of travel. The latest inspection explicitly describes improvement over recent years, a broadly ambitious curriculum, and stronger practice in many subjects, while also identifying inconsistency in how well some subject areas pinpoint and address older students’ knowledge gaps.

If you are comparing several local schools, FindMySchool’s local hub and comparison tools are the best way to view these outcomes side-by-side using a consistent methodology and the same reporting year.

Curriculum intent is described as broad and ambitious, with careful sequencing of what is taught and when, so students can build knowledge over time. Teaching is generally described as clear, with effective checking of understanding in most subjects and timely correction of misconceptions.

The main nuance is at Key Stage 4, where some students carry gaps from earlier curriculum weakness. In certain subjects, the school’s assessment strategies are described as less effective at spotting missing learning and correcting it, which can make it harder for some students to build confidently as GCSE content becomes more demanding.

Reading is a stated priority. Students read in form time and during library lessons, and the school identifies those who need additional support and provides targeted help to catch up. For parents, this is often a practical indicator of how well a school handles weak literacy without lowering expectations across the curriculum.

Where Students Go Next

As an 11 to 16 school, the key destination question is progression into post-16 education, training, or apprenticeships after Year 11. Careers education is described as a strength, including impartial advice and structured preparation, with Year 10 work experience as a universal entitlement.

For families, the implication is that the school aims to make post-16 planning a mainstream process rather than something reserved for the most academic students. The right next step will vary, school sixth forms, sixth-form colleges, technical routes, or apprenticeships, and students should be encouraged to explore options early in Key Stage 4 so subject choices align with post-16 requirements.

St Ambrose Barlow is a voluntary aided Catholic school, and admissions are run through the local authority’s co-ordinated process, with the governing body as the admissions authority.

Key dates for September 2026 Year 7 entry (Salford)

• Applications open: 01 September 2025

• Applications close: 31 October 2025

• Offer day: 02 March 2026

Oversubscription criteria are faith-informed and structured. Priority is given first to baptised Roman Catholic looked-after and previously looked-after children, then to baptised Roman Catholic children in nominated parishes and partner primary schools, with additional categories covering baptised Roman Catholic children outside those priorities, then other looked-after children, partner primary pupils, other faith communities, and finally other applicants. Distance is used as a tie-breaker when a category is oversubscribed.

Your dataset reinforces the competitiveness of entry, showing oversubscription and a little over two applications per place in the most recent admissions snapshot provided. For families considering applying, it is sensible to read the published admissions arrangements carefully and ensure supplementary faith evidence is prepared in good time where required.

A practical tip: if distance becomes relevant in a tie-break scenario, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check distances consistently, and avoid relying on rough estimates.

Personal development is the school’s headline strength in the latest inspection outcomes. Students have access to leadership roles, including school council and prefect structures, and they are encouraged to participate in themed and civic activity such as events during Black History Month.

Safeguarding is described as effective. That is an important foundation for parents, because it signals that systems and culture align around students’ safety and welfare, including reporting routes and staff training.

Behaviour is generally described as positive, with students typically behaving well in lessons and around the school, and with staff responding quickly to incidents. The nuance is that a small minority of students can misbehave when not closely supervised, which is relevant for families who prefer a very tightly managed corridor and social-time culture.

Attendance is treated as a whole-school priority, with staff working closely with families when improvement is needed.

The school’s enrichment offer is positioned as a core part of student experience, combining curriculum-linked trips and clubs, and with an emphasis on keeping opportunities affordable and accessible.

Music is a good example of specificity. The school lists a set of named co-curricular opportunities including Choir, Keyboard Club, Guitar Club, Musical Theatre Club, and Modulo (Orchestras for All), alongside links into Salford Music Service for instrumental tuition.

Personal development opportunities are also described as broad, with students able to take on responsibility and represent peers, and with structured preparation for work and further study. The implication for parents is that students who engage tend to build confidence through responsibility, not only through performance.

Sport and physical education are framed around participation, teamwork, and taking on varied roles such as leader or official, which suits students who enjoy taking responsibility as well as competing.

The published school day structure is clear. Gates open at 07:00, the official start is 08:45, and the school day ends at 15:15, with a structured timetable of form time, five teaching periods, break, and lunch.

For travel planning, this is a Swinton-area school serving multiple parishes and partner primaries, so morning traffic patterns and public transport routes matter. Families should trial the journey at the time they would actually travel, as peak conditions differ from mid-day test runs.

• Oversubscription is a real constraint. Your dataset shows 422 applications for 208 offers, and the school is oversubscribed. For families outside priority criteria, it is important to plan realistic alternatives.

• Faith criteria can shape outcomes. The published oversubscription criteria prioritise baptised Roman Catholic applicants connected to nominated parishes and partner primary schools, then widen through further categories. Families should be comfortable with the Catholic character and evidence requirements that may apply.

• Key Stage 4 consistency is still being strengthened. The latest inspection highlights that, in some subjects, assessment is not consistently effective at identifying and addressing older students’ gaps in knowledge, which can affect how securely some students build towards GCSEs.

• Behaviour is generally positive, but not flawless. Most students meet expectations, but a small minority can misbehave when not closely supervised. Families for whom calm movement and social-time behaviour is a top priority should explore this directly at open events.

St Ambrose Barlow RC High School combines a clearly articulated Catholic identity with a strong personal development offer and a culture built on relationships and inclusion. The latest inspection outcome, Good overall with Outstanding personal development, supports the view of a school that invests in leadership, enrichment, and preparation for life after Year 11.

Best suited to families who want a faith-informed education, value structured opportunities beyond lessons, and are prepared to engage early with the admissions process in a competitive local market.