Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy Review 2026: Catholic secondary with improving culture, and a clear focus on behaviour, reading, and inclusion

This is an 11 to 16 Catholic secondary serving Whiston and the wider Knowsley area, with a stated mission to form young people spiritually and academically, alongside a strong emphasis on belonging and behaviour. The school sits within the Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust, and recent official evidence points to a setting in active transition, with a sharper behaviour strategy, stronger reading intervention, and a more systematic approach to special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

In outcomes terms, the most recent published GCSE picture is challenging. An Attainment 8 score of 31.5 and a Progress 8 score of -1.01 indicate that, overall, students have not been doing as well as they should compared with similar pupils nationally. The school is ranked 3711th in England and 3rd in Prescot for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), placing it below England average overall.

For families, the key question is whether the school’s improvement trajectory matches your child’s needs now. The evidence suggests a clearer culture and better systems are emerging, with work still to do on consistent classroom practice and attendance.

A Catholic identity is not an add-on here, it is described as the organising principle for daily life. The school’s stated motto, Fortes in Fide (Strength through Faith), is used as a shorthand for resilience and unity, and the language of Gospel values is woven through how the academy presents expectations, relationships, and community life.

Chaplaincy is positioned as visible and practical. The academy identifies a full-time lay chaplain, Helen Rigby, appointed from September 2024, alongside a pupil-led Chaplaincy Group that meets regularly to help plan and deliver prayer and liturgy. The offer also includes retreats, liturgical-season activity, and structured preparation around Year 8 Confirmation.

Culture work is a recurring theme across official documentation. There is an explicit emphasis on raising expectations, reducing disruption, and helping pupils feel safe and supported. The school also presents a broad “help-seeking map” for pupils, spanning tutors, pastoral staff, inclusion, and nursing support, which matters in a community secondary where needs can vary widely.

This is a state-funded school with no tuition fees, and the academic performance indicators point to significant challenge at GCSE level.

GCSE ranking (FindMySchool)

Ranked 3711th in England and 3rd in Prescot for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data).

In the most recent dataset figures provided:

• Attainment 8: 31.5

• Progress 8: -1.01

• EBacc average point score: 2.64 (England average: 4.08)

A Progress 8 score of -1.01 is a clear signal that, overall, students have been making substantially less progress than pupils with similar starting points. For parents, the practical implication is that you should scrutinise subject-by-subject consistency, the stability of staffing, and how quickly gaps are identified and addressed.

The school’s published curriculum narrative stresses inclusion, subject knowledge, and a structured approach, with specific mention of specialist support delivered through an inclusion team described as “The Zone”.

The latest graded Ofsted inspection (April 2024) rated the school Requires Improvement across the headline areas.

Inspection evidence describes a curriculum that has been strengthened in intent and sequencing, with clearer statements of essential knowledge, but uneven delivery between subjects, and inconsistent checking of understanding. That inconsistency matters, because it can leave misconceptions uncorrected and gaps widening over time, particularly for pupils who already need more scaffolding.

Reading is an area where the school is unusually specific in its published approach. The academy describes a form-time reading programme, a library open before, during, and after school, and targeted interventions (including Lexonic LEAP, Lexonic Advance, Read–Write–Ink, and IDL) linked to diagnosed need. It also names enrichment routes connected to reading culture, including the Dungeons and Dragons Club and the Carnegie Shadowing Reading Club.

With provision to age 16, students typically progress into local sixth forms, sixth-form colleges, or technical and apprenticeship routes, depending on grades and interest. The school references provider access obligations and careers-related engagement as part of the wider statutory framework for secondary schools.

For families thinking ahead, the important issue is not just destination, but readiness. The more securely the school can embed consistent classroom routines, strong attendance, and a stable staffing picture, the more likely students are to reach post-16 with options that feel chosen rather than constrained.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated by Knowsley Council. For entry in September 2026, the published Knowsley timeline states: applications open 12 September 2025, the national closing date is 31 October 2025, and offers are released on 2 March 2026.

Because this is a Catholic academy, families may also need to complete a supplementary information form where faith criteria apply. Knowsley’s guidance states that supplementary forms should be returned directly to the school by the same closing date for secondary applications (31 October).

The academy also signals open events as part of the normal admissions journey, with open evenings typically running in September. Where a listed open evening date has already passed, it is safest to treat it as a pattern rather than a live deadline, and check the current year’s booking arrangements directly with the school.

Pastoral systems are presented as layered rather than single-point. New pupils are placed into form groups led by tutors as the first point of contact, with a broader pastoral structure behind that.

The school’s published mental health support information places emphasis on bereavement support and building a “healthy and thriving school community”, alongside signposting.

The latest monitoring letter (dated 8 September 2025, reflecting a visit in July 2025) describes progress in culture and behaviour with further improvement still needed, and it highlights continued work on absence, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and some pupils with SEND.

The enrichment offer is framed as part of personal development and is described as running both during and after the school day, with timetables published separately.

Several activities are named, which helps parents assess fit beyond generic “clubs and trips”. On the literacy and culture side, the school highlights the Carnegie Shadowing Reading Club and the Dungeons and Dragons Club as routes into reading for pleasure and discussion.

On the faith and service side, the chaplaincy programme includes a pupil-led Chaplaincy Group, retreats, liturgy planning, and a Gardening Club linked to environmental stewardship and Catholic social teaching.

Academic support after lessons is also explicit. A Homework Club runs daily between 3pm and 4pm, which can be valuable for students who benefit from routine, quiet space, and staff help before going home.

The published daily structure shows a free breakfast club running 8:00am to 8:30am, with lessons beginning at 8:40am and the core day ending at 2:45pm (with variations in break and tutor time across year groups).

The site is also described as being available to the local community in the evenings via Volair, which is a useful marker of a shared community facility.

Transport-wise, families commonly rely on local bus networks and school-serving routes; Merseytravel publishes dedicated school-service information for St Edmund Arrowsmith (Whiston), which is a sensible starting point when planning a realistic daily journey.

• Outcomes and progress remain a concern. A Progress 8 score of -1.01 indicates students have been making substantially less progress than similar pupils, so families should ask direct questions about how gaps are identified, re-taught, and checked across subjects.

• Consistency of classroom practice is still a key improvement area. Evidence points to uneven delivery between subjects and inconsistent checking of understanding, which can affect students who need steady routines and clear explanation to thrive.

• Attendance matters more than ever. Official evidence flags that absence remains high for some groups, which can undermine any improvement work unless addressed early with parents and carers.

• Faith life is meaningful and visible. For many families this is a positive, but those who want a largely secular experience should consider carefully how comfortable they are with a school day shaped by Catholic worship, liturgy, and formation.

Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy is best understood as a Catholic community secondary in active improvement mode, with clearer behaviour expectations, a structured reading strategy, and expanding inclusion capacity, but with outcomes and consistent classroom delivery still requiring sustained work. It suits families who value a faith-centred ethos, want a school explicitly focused on culture and reading, and are prepared to engage closely with attendance and learning routines at home. For students who need calm consistency and strong academic acceleration immediately, parents should probe hard on staffing stability, subject consistency, and how improvement is translating into results.