St Joseph's Catholic High School Review 2026, Catholic ethos with structured routines and broad pathways in Slough

A school day that starts with line-up and reading time, and an explicit expectation that students are “loved and know that they are loved”, gives St Joseph’s a distinctive tone. Catholic life is not treated as an add-on. The Catholic Schools Inspectorate report published in April 2025 graded Catholic life and mission, religious education, and collective worship at grade 1, and describes the Catholic ethos as permeating all aspects of the school.

Academically, GCSE outcomes sit around the middle band of schools in England on FindMySchool measures, with a Progress 8 score of +0.45 suggesting students tend to make well above average progress from their starting points. Sixth form outcomes are weaker on the same rankings, yet the post-16 offer remains important locally, with a wide mix of A-level and vocational pathways and a clear emphasis on employability, work experience, and next steps.

Leadership is current and worth noting. Kelly Riddles took up the headteacher role from 01 January 2026, succeeding Ciran Stapleton.

The school’s self-description, and the way it is reinforced through published routines, points to a deliberately structured environment. The published timetable begins with line-up at 08:25 and registration and assembly (including reading time) at 08:30, which tells families something practical and cultural at once. This tends to suit students who like clarity, predictable expectations, and a calm start to the day.

Faith is central, but the tone is explicitly inclusive. The Catholic Schools Inspectorate report notes that students of other faiths feel welcome and quickly develop a sense of belonging, and it links behaviour and manners to a shared set of virtues and expectations. The same report also describes a house system, mentoring, paired reading, and feast day activities as part of how community is built. For families who want a Catholic school that is outward-facing and service-oriented, this is an important signal.

The school’s modern identity also sits on an older foundation. A school newsletter published in December 2020 refers to the “original St. Joseph’s that opened in 1958” and notes an earlier legacy as an all-girls convent school, while acknowledging some uncertainty about the historic site. The key point for parents is that this is a long-established local institution, not a recent start-up.

A sensible way to read St Joseph’s outcomes is as “strong progress and solid attainment”, rather than headline grade distribution. On the dataset provided, the Progress 8 score is +0.45, which indicates well above average progress across a cohort. Average Attainment 8 is 50.5, which is broadly consistent with a school where many students move forward rapidly across Key Stage 4.

Rankings help parents triangulate how that picture compares across England and within Slough. Ranked 1,246th in England and 11th in Slough for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance reflects solid outcomes, in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The Ebacc average point score of 4.62 adds context. On the same dataset, this sits above the England figure of 4.08, suggesting that, for the students who take Ebacc subjects, attainment is comparatively secure.

Sixth form outcomes are a different story. Ranked 1,990th in England and 9th in Slough for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results sit below England averages on the same measures. The proportion of grades at A* to B is 36.98%, compared with an England average of 47.2%; the A* to A proportion is 7.29% compared with an England average of 23.6%. For families, the implication is straightforward: sixth form may be a good fit when the course mix, support, and pathways align, but it is not currently a “grades first” destination on published performance metrics alone.

One final, practical reading of the data is that the school appears to add value strongly up to GCSE, then has more work to do at advanced level. That makes the advice for Year 11 students particularly clear: choose sixth form here for the right course offer and support structures, and have an honest conversation about subject suitability and entry requirements.

The school puts enrichment directly into the week rather than treating it as optional. The Electives programme is described as running every Wednesday Period 5, with all pupils participating and rotating roughly each half term. This is a structural choice, not just an extracurricular list, and it tends to drive higher participation among students who might otherwise not try new activities.

Examples of electives published by the school include Golf, Crochet, Global Ventures, First Aid, Turkish, Cookery, and Badminton. These details matter because they show the intent, a blend of practical skills, cultural breadth, and wellbeing activity, rather than a narrow focus on one category of club.

At sixth form, the published material places a heavy emphasis on employability and post-16 readiness. A sixth form prospectus describes extended industry placements with a local partner and also states that every sixth form student must complete at least a five day work placement after exams in June. The implication is that students who learn best when classroom study is linked to real-world application may find the approach motivating.

St Joseph’s does not publish a clean, quantified Russell Group or Oxbridge headline on its website materials that were accessible in this research. It does, however, list a wide range of destinations and sectors, including Cambridge and a “host of Russell Group entries”, alongside professional pathways and employers. Treat these as examples of breadth rather than a statistical promise.

For the most recent quantified destinations in the provided dataset, the 2023/24 leavers cohort is recorded as follows: 65% progressed to university, 19% to employment, 3% to further education, and 2% to apprenticeships. The spread suggests the sixth form serves a mixed set of ambitions, including direct employment outcomes that some schools underplay.

Oxbridge outcomes are small in scale but present. In the measurement period, 6 applications were made to Oxford and Cambridge combined, and 1 place was secured, via Cambridge. For a non-selective school, that indicates there are students pursuing highly competitive routes, and a level of support is in place, even if it is not a dominant pipeline.

A practical takeaway for families is to ask two grounded questions when considering post-16 here. First, does the subject mix align, including any vocational options a student may need. Second, what does support look like for the intended pathway, whether that is university, an apprenticeship, or direct employment.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through Slough’s admissions process, with St Joseph’s applying its own oversubscription criteria within that coordinated scheme. The school’s admissions page sets out clear deadlines for September 2026 entry: the Common Application Form deadline is 31 October 2025, and the school’s Supplementary Application Form must be returned by 31 December 2025. The same page states that applications cannot be considered without the supplementary form, and it references additional faith evidence where relevant, including baptism or dedication documentation and a Certificate of Catholic Practice or religious leader reference, where appropriate.

This is the point where the school’s Catholic character becomes operational for applicants. Families seeking a Catholic education should expect to engage with the supplementary process and provide the relevant evidence on time. Families outside the faith, or those not comfortable with faith-based priority criteria, should read the published criteria carefully before relying on a place here.

For offers, the school states that, at the beginning of March 2026, the local authority will advise families of the allocated school for September 2026 entry.

For sixth form entry in September 2026, applications are made directly via the school’s online process. The sixth form admissions page states that applications open on 06 January 2026 and the deadline is 14 February 2026.

Open events are published on the school site, with recent open evening information indicating an early evening format with tours and headteacher addresses. Since dates move annually, treat this as a pattern that typically runs in the autumn term and verify the specific year’s arrangements on the school site.

Pastoral intent is explicit in the school’s published language and inspection evidence. The Catholic Schools Inspectorate report highlights a culture of praise and encouragement, and it links behaviour and belonging to consistent staff modelling and shared virtues. The same report describes the school as inclusive, with structured community elements such as mentoring and paired reading. For families, the implication is that pastoral systems are designed to be visible and everyday, not only for students in crisis.

Safeguarding is treated as a baseline expectation in official reporting. The latest Ofsted inspection (May 2022) judged the school Good overall and graded sixth form provision Good.

For students with additional needs, the school publishes SEND documentation that frames inclusion as part of its Catholic identity and emphasises that students should be taught in contexts appropriate to their individual needs. In practical terms, families should explore how support is delivered day-to-day, including any specialist interventions, and how this changes from Key Stage 3 to GCSE and then into sixth form.

The school offers both conventional and distinctive options. Its published extracurricular list includes debating, mock trial events, drama clubs and school productions, science clubs, homework clubs, and languages clubs, alongside educational tours and theatre trips. This matters because it reflects both academic stretch (debating and mock trial) and wider development (performance, trips, and cultural clubs).

Electives adds another layer. Because every pupil participates weekly, enrichment is built into normal life rather than reserved for a small subset. Golf and Turkish sit alongside First Aid and Cookery, which are practical, confidence-building choices for many students, especially those who do not initially see themselves in academic clubs.

At sixth form, the prospectus describes a wider curriculum and sixth form facilities that include dedicated study space with networked PCs and priority access to the Learning Resource Centre. Alongside work experience expectations, this suggests a sixth form that tries to treat students as emerging adults with responsibilities, rather than as “Year 13 pupils” who are simply waiting for results.

The published daily structure starts early. Line-up is at 08:25, followed by registration and assembly at 08:30, and the final taught period begins at 14:15. The school states that a typical week totals 35 hours including break and lunch. Families managing travel and routines should use these timings as the anchor for transport planning and before-school arrangements.

Term dates are published on the school website, including dates for the 2026 to 2027 school year start, with Year 7 and Year 12 returning ahead of the rest of the school.

The school site does not consistently publish detailed wraparound provision in the way many primaries do. For families who need early drop-off or late pick-up beyond standard timings, it is sensible to check directly what is available for secondary-aged students, including any supervised study or homework arrangements.

• Sixth form outcomes are currently weaker than GCSE outcomes. A-level performance sits below England averages on the measures provided. Students should choose post-16 here for the right course match, support, and pathway planning, not on the assumption of top-end grade profiles.

• Admissions requires extra steps. For Year 7 entry, the Supplementary Application Form deadline (31 December 2025) sits after the local authority form deadline (31 October 2025). Missing the supplementary process can undermine an application.

• Catholic life is central. The Catholic Schools Inspectorate report describes Catholic mission and prayer as embedded and expects consistent participation in the school’s Catholic character. This suits many families, but those wanting a more secular experience should weigh fit carefully.

• A structured day can be a strength or a challenge. Early starts and routine-heavy culture tend to help many students settle, but some may prefer a looser environment. The published day structure gives a useful clue to the school’s operating style.

St Joseph’s Catholic High School is a Catholic secondary and sixth form where routine, pastoral intent, and faith practice are not just stated but operationalised through weekly structures and published expectations. GCSE performance is solid in an England context, with particularly strong progress measures, and enrichment is unusually embedded through the Electives model.

Best suited to families who want a Catholic education with clear routines, inclusive community culture, and a broad set of pathways at 16 and 18. The main challenge is matching the sixth form offer to a student’s academic profile and intended destination, and completing the multi-step admissions process on time.