St Peter’s Catholic College Review 2026, Catholic secondary with a clear improvement story

A secondary school serving South Bank and the wider Teesside area, St Peter’s Catholic College combines a strongly expressed Catholic identity with a practical focus on attendance, behaviour and curriculum improvement. The school sits within the Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (NPCAT), and much of its recent direction is framed around consistency of routines and broad access to the curriculum for all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

The school marked its 80th birthday in March 2022, and that anniversary is used as a genuine anchor for community identity rather than nostalgia. Recent trust investment is also visible in facilities, including a fitness suite and a VR suite mentioned as part of site improvements.

Parents will see a mixed picture in the data. The latest Ofsted inspection (November 2022) judged the school Good across all key areas. At GCSE, the FindMySchool ranking places outcomes below England average overall, and progress measures indicate many students are not yet making the progress expected from their starting points. The headline question, therefore, is fit. This is a school for families who value a Catholic framework, want an orderly daily structure, and prefer a smaller secondary where pastoral relationships can be strengthened over time.

The school’s stated mission statement, One Faith, One Family, One Future, is used as an organising idea rather than a slogan. You see it in how leadership describes expectations, in the way rewards are framed through NPCAT REACH, and in how the school talks about students’ responsibility to others. The REACH framework is structured around Reading, Experiencing, Articulating, Catholic Life, and Helping, with students working towards bronze through platinum awards.

Catholic life is integrated into the school day. The website describes daily prayer at the start and end of the day, pupil-led collective worship during the week, and chaplaincy prefects supporting liturgies and events. That matters for parents weighing ethos, because the Catholic dimension is not treated as optional enrichment, it is presented as a routine feature of daily life.

There are also tangible identity markers that help younger students settle quickly. The house structure is explicitly tied to named house saints, St Bede, St Cuthbert, St Hilda, St Margaret, and St Aiden. For many Year 7 students, that kind of smaller unit within a school makes participation easier, whether through house points, competitions, or leadership roles such as prefects.

Leadership continuity is another defining feature. Mrs Stephanie Garthwaite is the headteacher, and she took up the role in September 2020, following her appointment announcement in June 2020. Governance and the trust model are also visible on the public-facing staff listing, with an executive headteacher alongside the headteacher role.

This is a school where the headline story is improvement work, rather than a long-established exam profile. The most recent official inspection in November 2022 judged the school Good overall, and described curriculum review and development work that was beginning to make a positive difference.

In the FindMySchool GCSE league table, the school is ranked 2,904th in England and 7th in Middlesbrough for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). That position sits below England average overall, placing it within the bottom 40% of secondary schools on this measure.

Looking at the underlying GCSE metrics used here, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 42.1, and Progress 8 is -0.46, which indicates students, on average, make less progress than peers with similar starting points across England. EBacc indicators are also a challenge: the average EBacc APS is 3.52, compared with an England benchmark of 4.08, and 5.7% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure.

The implication for parents is straightforward. Students who need consistent teaching and strong routines can do well, but those who require rapid academic acceleration may need to look closely at subject strength and support, particularly if the child’s confidence is fragile. The school itself clearly prioritises access to the same curriculum for students with SEND, with adapted teaching strategies and targeted interventions presented as normal, not exceptional.

Teaching is framed around curriculum clarity and building secure knowledge over time. The strongest evidence here is that curriculum leaders have been supported at trust level in curriculum design, and teachers are described as having strong subject knowledge, selecting appropriate activities and scaffolding learning effectively, particularly for students with SEND.

Subject pages add useful colour. English, for example, is explicitly linked to developing spoken language and confidence in reading and writing, and it is one of the few places where the school gives concrete examples of extension beyond lessons. The English department references poetry writing, film club, the school news report, and debating as extra-curricular options tied to literacy and oracy. Those are specific, skills-linked opportunities, and they can particularly suit students who need structured practice to build confidence in presentation and argument.

STEM is also presented as part of transition messaging. The Year 6 transition materials refer to an “amazing STEM club”, which signals that the school uses extra-curricular identity to support Year 7 onboarding and engagement. This matters because engagement in Year 7 often predicts attendance, behaviour points, and ultimately GCSE resilience later on.

Where the school is still working is also clear. Modern foreign languages is explicitly identified as an area where the curriculum does not yet support learning as well as it should, with weaker alignment to different starting points. That is a relevant detail for families who want languages to be a core strength through Key Stage 4.

As an 11 to 16 school, the main destination question is post-16 choice rather than university pipelines. The school’s careers and provider-access messaging is oriented around helping students understand multiple routes, including further education, vocational training, apprenticeships, and employment.

NPCAT’s post-16 options are referenced through the trust’s sixth form pathway, including Trinity Sixth Form and a specialist football academy route under the trust umbrella. For families who want continuity of Catholic education beyond Year 11, that trust pathway is likely to be part of the conversation, even when students ultimately choose a local college or a training provider.

The practical implication is that families should start the post-16 conversation earlier than they might at a larger school, simply because students benefit from clarity. The school’s own emphasis on careers links with employers and the NHS fits well for students considering applied pathways and vocational routes, and it also provides a useful reality check for those who need motivation through visible end goals.

Admissions sit within coordinated local authority systems, with Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough both referenced for applications depending on home address. Parents should expect the standard Year 7 timetable for the area, alongside a clear Catholic supplementary form requirement if applying under faith criteria. The school explains that, alongside the local authority application, families should submit the Catholic supplementary form directly to the school, and Catholic applicants are asked to provide evidence such as a baptism certificate or a letter from a priest.

For September 2026 entry, Redcar and Cleveland’s published timetable states that the online application site opens in early September 2025 (with application information issued and the website opening on 05 September 2025), the closing date is 31 October 2025, and National Offer Day is 01 March 2026, with appeals typically heard between May and July 2026.

The school also encourages prospective families to visit, but the website does not currently present a forward calendar of open events in a single clear list. The safest approach is to check the school’s current communications before relying on a past pattern, particularly if you need a visit before the October application deadline.

A final practical note: published last-distance allocation data is not available here for Year 7 in the same way it is for some other schools, so families should treat proximity planning as one factor among several, rather than assuming a simple distance cut-off. In that situation, FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful for checking realistic travel time, but the admissions criteria and supplementary evidence remain the decisive levers.

Pastoral care is presented as a combination of Catholic life, clear safeguarding systems, and structured personal development. The safeguarding culture described in official reporting emphasises staff training, clear reporting routes, and strong relationships between staff and students, with many students identifying a trusted adult.

The school’s own safeguarding page reinforces that approach in parent-facing language, including DBS checking, an identified safeguarding lead with additional training, and curriculum coverage of online safety, bullying awareness, healthy relationships and other safeguarding themes.

Personal development is treated as a planned curriculum rather than occasional assemblies. The November 2022 inspection describes provision mapped around health and wellbeing, relationship education, living in the wider world, and protected characteristics, with careers education supported by links to employers and providers. For families, the implication is that the school is trying to be explicit about what good choices look like, and to teach those choices systematically.

Attendance is the major pastoral pressure point. It is identified as improving but still a focus, with persistent absence remaining high for vulnerable groups. That is an important signal for parents, because low attendance affects learning regardless of teaching quality.

Extra-curricular life matters most when it is linked to confidence, belonging and routine. At St Peter’s, that link is clearest in three areas: literacy and oracy clubs, structured rewards, and community-facing Catholic life.

Start with literacy and speaking. The English department explicitly names poetry writing, film club, the school news report and debating. These are not generic add-ons. They match the skills GCSE English actually tests, sustained reading, clear writing, and the ability to articulate ideas with control. For students who struggle to contribute in class, a club format can be a lower-stakes way to build voice and confidence.

Second, the REACH framework gives a reason to turn up and take part, even for students who are not naturally club-joiners. Working through bronze to platinum awards gives students a visible pathway, and it also gives tutors a structured set of conversations beyond grades. The implication is that enrichment is used as a behaviour and motivation tool, not only as leisure.

Third, Catholic life provides leadership opportunities that are recognisable and valued in the school culture. Chaplaincy prefect roles are specifically described as supporting liturgies and events, and collective worship is presented as pupil-led at points during the week. For some students, that is where confidence develops first, particularly if they enjoy service roles, music linked to worship, or leadership that is relational rather than purely academic.

Sport and physical activity are present across the curriculum, and the school’s wider identity includes a strong local sporting heritage referenced through community narratives and alumni connections. While the website does not present a clean current club timetable, it does place PE and health benefits at the heart of the curriculum intent. Parents should ask specifically which clubs are running this term, which are staff-led versus external, and whether transport home is provided after fixtures or after-school sessions.

The published compulsory school day for Years 7 to 11 runs from 8:30am to 2:35pm.

Breakfast provision is clearly signposted. Breakfast club operates 8:00am to 8:20am in the dining hall, with breakfast offered every morning under the National School Breakfast Programme partnership arrangements described by the school.

Transport is unusually specific for a school website. The school operates a bus service with a stated nominal charge of £8.00 per pupil per week, with morning pick-ups at St Gabriel’s Catholic Primary and Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, and a return run after school.

For public transport, South Bank rail station is also on Normanby Road. For families weighing daily travel, that matters because it creates a practical option for older students who can manage independent travel.

• Academic outcomes are currently below England average in the FindMySchool GCSE ranking. The school sits 2,904th in England and 7th in Middlesbrough on this measure. Families should discuss subject support, intervention timing and expectations early, particularly for students aiming for higher GCSE pathways.

• Attendance remains a live improvement priority. Persistent absence is highlighted as a continuing challenge for some groups, and parents should be ready for firm attendance expectations and early follow-up if patterns slip.

• Modern foreign languages is flagged as a weaker curriculum area. If languages matter for your child’s future plans, ask how the department supports different starting points and how progress is checked through Key Stage 3.

• Bullying perceptions are not uniform. Most students report issues are handled well, but some report resolution is not consistent. Parents should ask how concerns are logged, how feedback is given to families, and what escalation looks like.

St Peter’s Catholic College is a Good school on the latest Ofsted judgement, with a clear narrative of steady improvement, strengthened safeguarding culture, and a Catholic identity that shapes daily routines. The performance data suggests the school is still building momentum in academic outcomes and progress, so the best fit is a student who will benefit from structure, explicit expectations, and a community model rooted in Catholic life. It suits families who want a smaller secondary with defined routines, visible rewards, and leadership roles that value service as well as grades.