Saint Joan of Arc Catholic School Review 2026: Catholic secondary with a purposeful culture and a strong sixth form offer

A Catholic 11 to 18 school on Rickmansworth High Street with a long local history and a clearly stated mission, Saint Joan of Arc Catholic School blends academic ambition with a deliberate focus on personal development. The most recent Ofsted inspection (18 to 19 October 2023, published 01 December 2023) confirmed the school continues to be Good, with a calm, orderly tone to daily routines and consistent expectations for behaviour and learning.

It sits within All Saints Catholic Academy Trust, which matters for families because trust leadership and governance form part of the accountability picture alongside the local academy council.

Academically, outcomes place the school broadly in line with the middle band of secondary performance in England (25th to 60th percentile) on the available ranking model, with progress measures indicating students typically do better than expected from their starting points. What stands out most, across both Catholic inspection and Ofsted reporting, is the consistency of expectations: students are expected to work hard, behave well, and participate in the life of the community.

This is a school that signals its identity early and clearly. Founded by the Daughters of Jesus in 1904, its Catholic character is not an add-on; it sits at the centre of how the community talks about belonging, responsibility, and service.

The Catholic Schools Inspectorate inspection (24 to 25 May 2023) describes a strong community spirit, with relationships shaped by care, and pupils who actively embrace the school’s distinctive Catholic identity. It also highlights student involvement in charitable action, including local support and international projects such as Aid to the Church In Need and Udayan.

That faith dimension also shows up in the practical rhythm of school life. The Catholic inspection report references prayer groups, choir, altar servers, readers, and student participation in class liturgies, all framed as routes for spiritual and moral development rather than performance for its own sake.

From a parent’s perspective, the implication is straightforward: students who are comfortable with a school day that includes structured opportunities for prayer, worship, and service are likely to feel at home. Families who prefer a more secular environment will want to explore carefully how the Catholic life of the school intersects with assemblies, tutor time, and whole-school celebrations.

On the published measures available here, the school’s GCSE profile shows a solid academic base with encouraging progress.

A key indicator for parents is Progress 8. A score of 0.34 suggests students, on average, make above-average progress across their GCSE subjects compared with similar pupils nationally. Alongside this, Attainment 8 stands at 51.9, which provides a useful summary of overall GCSE performance across a student’s best eight subjects.

The school also has a meaningful EBacc profile: the average EBacc point score is 4.56, and 20.3% of pupils achieve grades 5 or above across the EBacc. These figures matter because they are closely tied to a curriculum that keeps options open for post-16 study, including competitive A-level pathways.

For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool GCSE ranking places Saint Joan of Arc Catholic School 1,281st in England for GCSE outcomes, and 4th within the Rickmansworth local area (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This reflects solid performance, in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

A-level outcomes show a similar picture. The FindMySchool A-level ranking places the sixth form 1,281st in England and 4th locally (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), again broadly aligned with the middle performance band. At A-level, 5.3% of grades are A*, 13.6% are A, and 29.6% are B; taken together, 48.5% of grades fall in the A* to B range.

For context, the A* to B share is slightly above the England comparator used here (47.2%), while the A* and A share (18.9%) sits below the England comparator (23.6%). That combination often indicates a sixth form with a healthy core of strong outcomes, plus room to stretch more students into the very top grades.

Parents weighing results should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to put these outcomes next to other nearby schools with similar intakes, then drill into subject availability and sixth form entry requirements to understand how the numbers translate into day-to-day experience.

The most useful lens on teaching here is consistency. External reporting repeatedly points to clear expectations, structured curriculum thinking, and students who generally know what good work looks like. Ofsted describes a curriculum that is mapped carefully, with attention to key knowledge and vocabulary, and students who typically remember what they have been taught.

The Catholic inspection adds detail on Religious Education, describing students as religiously literate and confident using subject vocabulary, with examples of lesson approaches that include debate, extended writing, and analytical work at both GCSE and A-level. It also references a lunchtime analysis club for Year 11, which signals that extension and revision support is built into department culture, not only left to private tutoring or home study.

The implication for families is that students who respond well to clear routines and structured expectations are likely to thrive. Students who need high levels of spontaneity, or who struggle with consistent rules applied across classrooms, may find the environment demanding. That is not a negative, it is simply a question of fit.

University and employment pathways matter most in schools that educate to 18, and the available destination data provides a practical snapshot.

For the 2023/24 cohort (83 students), 58% progressed to university, 7% entered apprenticeships, and 22% moved into employment. This suggests a sixth form where progression routes are mixed, with university as the most common pathway but with meaningful numbers taking employment routes as well.

The school’s Catholic life and mission reporting also references sixth form leadership responsibilities, including paired reading with younger pupils, running clubs, and supporting retreats. That matters because it is a credible indicator of the kind of sixth form many students want: not only academic preparation, but a role in shaping the culture of the lower school.

If your child’s priority is a highly specialised pathway (for example, medicine-focused programmes, intensive Oxbridge preparation, or a strongly technical sixth form model), it is worth asking specifically how support is structured, how subject combinations are timetabled, and what the application process looks like for competitive courses. The destination data suggests students do go on to a range of routes, so the right question is often about fit and support, not whether university is possible.

Year 7 entry (September 2026)

Secondary admissions for Hertfordshire are coordinated by the local authority. For September 2026 entry, the online application system opened on 01 September 2025, with the on-time application deadline set at 31 October 2025. National allocation day for Hertfordshire is listed as 02 March 2026, with the deadline to accept the offered place on 09 March 2026.

Open events are typically held in September and October, which aligns with how most families build their shortlist before submitting preferences.

As a Catholic school, admissions rules commonly include faith-based criteria and supplementary information requirements. Families should read the current admissions arrangements carefully and ensure any required documentation is in place well before the deadline, particularly where priest references or parish practice evidence may be relevant.

If you are trying to judge the likelihood of securing a place, do not rely on general impressions of distance. Use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your route and distance precisely, then compare against the most recent published allocation data for the school and local authority. Distances can move materially from year to year.

Sixth form entry

Sixth form admissions are typically handled directly rather than through the Year 7 coordinated process. The available sixth form application portal information indicates a January application window and enrolment around GCSE results day, which is a common pattern across state school sixth forms.

The practical implication is that families should treat the sixth form application timeline as separate from Year 7 timelines. If your child is joining at 16, plan for earlier decision-making in the autumn term of Year 11, then confirm exact dates and subject requirements with the school once the current cycle is published.

Pastoral messaging is unusually consistent across the available evidence. Ofsted reports that pupils feel safe and valued, that behaviour is typically strong, and that bullying is described as rare and dealt with promptly.

The Catholic inspection leans into the same story from a faith and community angle, describing a culture of welcome and careful pastoral support, with staff modelling respectful relationships and students taking responsibility in service to others.

For parents, the key question is not whether pastoral exists, but how it is delivered: tutor structures, safeguarding leadership, and the availability of support when students feel pressure. If your child is anxious, has experienced friendship issues previously, or is transitioning from a very small primary, ask specifically about transition support, peer mentoring, and how concerns are surfaced early.

There is clear evidence that participation matters here, and not only in headline sports fixtures or large-scale productions. External reporting points to student-led music forming part of school festivals and celebrations, which suggests a culture where performance is community-facing and tied to shared events rather than isolated showcases.

On the Catholic life side, the range of pupil roles is unusually explicit: choir, band, altar servers, readers, and prayer groups are referenced as genuine options for students who want to contribute to worship and community life. For some students, that becomes a major pillar of belonging, particularly in Years 7 and 8 when making friends can be the hardest part of secondary transition.

A second pillar sits in subject support and enrichment. The lunchtime analysis club for Year 11 within Religious Education is a tangible example of how departments can extend learning outside lesson time, and it is a useful signal for parents who want to understand whether extension is structured or ad hoc.

Sport and facilities

Facilities also matter because they shape opportunity. A local authority playing pitch strategy document references a 3G pitch at Saint Joan of Arc Catholic School that meets local need, which is a meaningful indicator of all-weather sport capability and community-standard provision.

The implication is practical: more reliable training and fixtures through winter, more predictable extracurricular sport, and fewer cancellations that often undermine confidence for students who only participate when routines are stable.

Travel logistics are a genuine advantage. Published recruitment information describes the site as a short walk from Rickmansworth station, served by the Chiltern line and the Metropolitan line, and also notes road access via the M25 and on-site parking.

Daily start and finish times, and any breakfast or after-school provision, should be checked directly with the school because these details are not consistently published across official sources. For families managing childcare logistics, that is worth confirming early, particularly for Year 7 students who may need after-school supervision while routines settle.

• Catholic life is central. Worship, prayer, and service are prominent and woven into student roles and school rhythm. This will suit many families, but those seeking a more secular experience should review how faith practices intersect with tutor time and assemblies.

• Sixth form outcomes are broad rather than narrowly elite. Destination data shows a mixed set of routes, with university the most common but with meaningful employment and apprenticeship progression. Families should ask how guidance is structured for competitive courses and for apprenticeships, as the support needs differ.

• Extension and challenge should be tested in practice. The Catholic inspection identifies stretch and challenge consistency as an improvement area. Parents of very high attainers may want to ask what extension looks like by subject, and how it is monitored.

• A structured culture can feel demanding. Behaviour and expectations are consistently described as strong. That benefits learning, but students who dislike consistent rules or who struggle with organisation may need proactive support and clear routines from the outset.

Saint Joan of Arc Catholic School offers a clearly defined identity, steady academic outcomes, and a community culture shaped by Catholic mission and consistent expectations. It is best suited to families who want a faith-grounded education with strong routines, clear behaviour standards, and a sixth form that supports a range of progression routes. Admission timelines require careful attention, and families should explore how stretch and challenge is delivered in their child’s strongest subjects.