St John Fisher Catholic High School

A school can be both locally rooted and unusually specialist. St John Fisher Catholic High School, Peterborough has that combination, a Catholic voluntary aided 11 to 18 with a sixth form, plus the local authority’s specially resourced provision for secondary-age deaf pupils (with capacity for six pupils).

Leadership has also recently shifted. Mrs Natasha Wilmore was appointed to take up headship from September 2025, following a recruitment process led by governors and announced to families in May 2025.

Academically, the picture is mixed by phase. GCSE outcomes sit in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), while sixth form outcomes place the school below England average on the FindMySchool measure. The school’s culture is strongly shaped by Catholic life, daily form time, and a vertical house structure that mixes year groups.

Catholic ethos is not a bolt-on here. The school sets out a clear mission rooted in St John’s Gospel, alongside a commitment to mutual respect across pupils who are Catholic, of other faiths, or of no faith. In practice, this shows up in regular liturgy, a Tuesday morning voluntary Mass in the school chapel, and a pastoral and chaplaincy programme that reinforces shared expectations and language.

The physical site has a modern chapter in its story. The school opened on the Park Lane site in April 1959 and underwent a substantial rebuild in 2009, producing the bright, modern campus in use today. The chapel itself has been a particular focus for identity, with stained glass windows installed for each of the four houses, designed and made by former Head of Art Emma Guppy, with each window themed to its house.

Pastoral organisation is deliberately structured. A vertical tutoring model places students in mixed-age tutor groups within four houses, Beverley, Cambridge, Rochester, and Westminster. Tutor time is used for preparation for the day and for house competitions and group activities; the house is designed to be a consistent “home base” from Year 7 through Year 13.

GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool rankings, based on official data)

Ranked 1,691st in England for GCSE academic performance and 7th in Peterborough on the local secondary ranking. This reflects solid performance in line with the middle of schools in England.

At GCSE level, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 45.9, and Progress 8 is +0.67, indicating that pupils make well above average progress from their starting points. (Performance measures quoted here follow the FindMySchool results.) The EBacc profile is a clear differentiator: 12.3% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in the EBacc, and average EBacc APS is 3.9.

A-level outcomes (FindMySchool rankings, based on official data)

Ranked 2,288th in England for A-level academic performance and 12th in Peterborough on the local sixth-form ranking, placing it below many schools on this measure.

A-level grade distribution shows 0% A*, 10% A, and 20% A* to B.

The headline implication is straightforward. GCSE performance and progress suggest a school that can move pupils forward strongly through Key Stage 4, while sixth form outcomes look weaker against England benchmarks, so families should look closely at post-16 course fit, entry requirements, and support for independent study.

Curriculum design is explicit and fairly distinctive. The school operates a four-lesson day built around 75-minute periods, organised as 40 periods across a fortnight. That structure gives longer teaching blocks, which tends to suit subjects that benefit from extended practice, practical work, and deliberate revisiting of prior knowledge.

An important theme in the school’s most recent inspection narrative is that curriculum ambition is real and evolving, with clear guidance on what pupils should learn and consistent delivery across subjects. Literacy is treated as a cross-curricular priority, with reading support designed to help pupils access the wider curriculum effectively.

The sixth form curriculum is a mix of A-levels and Level 3 vocational pathways, with published entry requirements by course. For A-level study, students are expected to have at least five GCSEs at grades 9 to 5, including English Language; vocational Level 3 pathways typically require at least four GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 including English Language (with some course-specific thresholds).

The school does not publish a Russell Group or university destination percentage in the material reviewed, so the most reliable quantitative picture comes from official leaver destinations and Oxbridge pipeline data.

For the 2023/24 leavers cohort (size 73), 49% progressed to university, 3% to further education, 5% to apprenticeships, and 23% to employment.

On the Oxbridge pipeline, the latest available figures show two Cambridge applications, one offer, and one acceptance. That is a small absolute number, but it matters as an indicator that highly competitive applications are part of the sixth form conversation for at least some students.

A practical implication for families is that the school seems to support multiple pathways, university, apprenticeships, and employment. For students aiming for highly selective routes, the key question is how well the chosen A-level or vocational programme matches strengths, and how strong the study habits and academic support are in that subject mix.

This is a Catholic voluntary aided school and admissions are coordinated through the local authority’s process, with additional documentation required for some faith-based oversubscription criteria. Families applying under specified oversubscription criteria should complete the Supplementary Information Form and return it by the published deadline for the relevant admissions cycle.

The same policy also sets out the sixth form application route. Sixth form applications are made directly to the school, so applicants should check the current school deadline before choosing subjects.

Open events and dates shift annually, but the local authority’s published open day listings usually give families a pattern to work from. Families should check current dates on the school’s website each year and book if required.

If a place is not offered, the school publishes an appeals route for Year 7. Families should check the current local authority and school deadlines carefully, because appeal windows are time-limited.

Pastoral care is heavily shaped by the house system. Each house has a Head of House and a Student Support Officer, and the vertical structure means younger pupils interact with older peers daily, rather than living in year-group silos.

The school’s most recent inspection evidence points to a calm, purposeful learning environment, with pupils reporting that bullying is uncommon and that concerns are dealt with effectively. Safeguarding arrangements were judged effective at the latest inspection.

A sensible question for families to explore at open events is how SEND guidance is implemented in everyday classroom practice. External review evidence highlights that leaders provide staff with guidance, but that it is not always used consistently, which can limit how well some pupils with SEND learn compared with what they could achieve.

Extracurricular life has a distinctive inclusion strand. The Deaf Hub is not just a label; it feeds into culture and activities. A concrete example is the British Sign Language club, described as a weekly session in Room 102, led by the Teacher of the Deaf (Lucy Lester) and a local authority-employed colleague (Claire Edwards) who is training towards a Level 6 BSL qualification. The club itself is framed as a way to reduce communication barriers for deaf students, and it was reported as full with 24 students and staff attending.

Personal development opportunities are also clearly structured. At the time of the latest inspection, half of pupils in Years 9 to 11 were undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which is a substantial participation level for a mainstream secondary and suggests that challenge and service are embedded rather than optional extras for a small minority.

Sixth form enrichment is described in practical, named roles rather than generalities. The sixth form prospectus sets out leadership opportunities such as Head Students and Deputies, House Ambassadors, Student Voice Ambassadors, plus School Tours and Interview Ambassadors. It also references a sixth form-led “Great Get Together” event inspired by Jo Cox MP, alongside a rolling programme of social and enrichment activities that has included cultural visits and trips.

For younger years, the school’s published materials also point to ongoing clubs and support sessions such as Homework Club and Maths Help Club (with examples shown in school communications). The best way to evaluate current breadth is to review the termly club timetable and ask which activities run consistently across the year, rather than only appearing for short blocks.

The school day is organised around longer teaching blocks. The published prospectus describes registration by 8.40am, then four 75-minute periods, finishing at 3.15pm.

For morning routine, the school has highlighted a breakfast offer in the dining hall with free bagels running 8.10am to 8.30am.

Transport arrangements depend on the local authority and individual eligibility. School guidance directs families to apply via the council’s passenger transport process, and a parent information booklet also notes a school-operated minibus service from Peterborough Station each morning for students arriving by train, with limited spaces.

• Sixth form outcomes versus GCSE progress. GCSE progress is strong on the FindMySchool measure, but A-level grade distribution and the A-level ranking suggest weaker outcomes post-16. Families should scrutinise sixth form entry requirements, subject choice, and academic support, especially for students aiming for competitive university courses.

• SEND consistency as a live question. External evidence points to strong information and intent, but inconsistent classroom implementation of SEND guidance at times. If your child needs specific adjustments, ask how staff are trained, how consistency is monitored, and what day-to-day support looks like in lessons.

• Faith-based admissions documentation. Some oversubscription criteria require a Supplementary Information Form returned by the stated deadline. Missing paperwork can materially change admissions priority, so families should treat deadlines and evidence requirements as non-negotiable.

• House system fit. A vertical tutoring model suits many students because it creates continuity and peer support across year groups, but some students prefer the simplicity of a year-group-only structure. It is worth checking how the house system works for behaviour, communication with families, and academic tracking.

St John Fisher Catholic High School, Peterborough offers a clearly Catholic education with a strong pastoral structure, an identifiable inclusion strength through its Deaf Hub, and evidence of calm, safe routines. GCSE progress looks a clear positive, while sixth form outcomes are the area to interrogate most carefully, particularly for academically selective destinations. Best suited to families who want a faith-shaped community school, value a structured house system, and will actively engage with post-16 course planning to secure the right pathway.