St Anne's RC Voluntary Academy Review 2026: A Catholic secondary with a clear improvement story

A structured school day, clear expectations, and a Catholic ethos that is deliberately woven into routines are central here. The leadership has focused on tightening behaviour, improving curriculum planning from Year 7 to Year 11, and building consistent support for students who need extra help with reading and SEND. The most recent graded inspection judged the school Good across all headline areas.

St Anne's is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Practical costs are more likely to be around uniform, transport, and optional trips and activities.

The school’s culture is described internally as the St Anne’s Way, with SACRED values running through assemblies, tutor time, and the wider pastoral system. Service, Ambition, Compassion, Respect, Equality and Determination are not presented as generic posters, they are broken down into practical examples and linked to Catholic teaching, with departments and projects aligned to them across the year.

There is also a strong emphasis on calm, purposeful routines. Expectations around conduct, punctuality, and day-to-day readiness are explicit, and students are used to being held to them consistently. The safeguarding and pastoral pages reinforce that this structure is intended to help students feel secure and able to focus on learning.

Leadership is shared across roles. The headteacher is Sheldon Logue, and the school also identifies a Head of School role (Julie Sutcliffe) for day-to-day operational leadership. The Ofsted inspection report notes that the executive headteacher role was appointed at the point of academy conversion in November 2020.

For GCSE outcomes, the school sits broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). Ranked 2,717th in England and 11th in Stockport for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

The Attainment 8 score is 42.5. Progress 8 is -0.2, which indicates progress a little below the national benchmark from similar starting points.

EBacc outcomes are a key nuance for families who care about a traditional academic suite. 8.9% of students achieved grade 5 or above across the EBacc subjects, and the average EBacc APS score is 3.59. The school’s public narrative focuses on raising ambition and strengthening curriculum sequencing, including increasing participation in the EBacc suite, which aligns with the direction of travel described in formal reporting.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to place these measures alongside nearby secondaries, and to understand whether the profile fits their child’s strengths.

Curriculum work has been a major focus. Subject leaders have been trained and supported to think carefully about what students learn, when they learn it, and how knowledge builds from Year 7 through to Year 11. The intent is a broad and balanced offer, with an emphasis on building cultural capital and ensuring students can succeed regardless of starting points.

The school also places visible weight on reading. Identification of students who struggle with reading, and providing timely support through trained staff, is positioned as a practical lever for wider achievement because it underpins access to every subject.

Assessment practice is an area to watch. Formal reporting highlights that assessment strategies are used to check what students know and remember, but that consistency can vary between classrooms, which can lead to gaps not being spotted quickly enough for some students.

With an 11 to 16 age range, the main transition point is post-16 choice, sixth form, college, apprenticeships, or training routes. The school presents careers guidance as an embedded programme across Years 7 to 11, with access to independent and impartial personal guidance, support with applications and CVs, and structured information about colleges, sixth forms and apprenticeships.

A practical sign of intent is the emphasis on provider access and encounters beyond the classroom. Families who want a strongly academic sixth form pipeline should ask about links with local sixth forms and colleges, and how support is structured for high-attaining students as well as those who are still deciding.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through the local authority. For Stockport applicants for September 2026 entry, applications open on 15 August 2025 and close on 31 October 2025, with offers released on 2 March 2026. Stockport does not require families to formally accept an allocated place at a Stockport school, but families can pursue waiting lists and appeals where relevant.

The Published Admission Number is 150, and the Stockport admissions booklet notes that 15 additional places were offered on national offer day in the relevant round, which is a detail worth understanding in context.

As a Catholic school, oversubscription criteria prioritise baptised Catholic children in specific categories first. Partner Catholic primary schools are explicitly listed, followed by siblings and contributory parishes, with distance used as a tie-breaker when categories are oversubscribed. Non-Catholic applicants are considered later in the criteria, again with distance used when needed.

Families should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check precise distance scenarios and to sense-check how realistic admission is, particularly if applying outside the highest-priority categories.

Pastoral support is organised through tutor groups, Heads of Year, and a clearly defined safeguarding structure. Heads of Year are named for each year group, and the model emphasises regular monitoring of progress and wellbeing through individual meetings and close tutor oversight.

Safeguarding roles are explicit, including a named Designated Safeguarding Lead and deputy, supported by Heads of Year. The school also describes practical in-school interventions, including an inclusion room with behaviour reflection and targeted support, and access to a school-based nurse plus an NHS-linked mental health worker on a weekly basis.

A notable local partnership is Operation Encompass, which is designed to support children affected by domestic incidents by enabling timely information-sharing between police and school so that support can be put in place quickly.

The enrichment offer is framed as a key part of personal development rather than an optional add-on, with an explicit expectation that students should take part. There is a formal extra-curricular programme and a separate SACRED enrichment approach during form time, linked to projects and student leadership development.

Specific, school-named examples help this feel tangible. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is well established, with Bronze starting in Year 9 and a stated cohort of around 40 students working towards Bronze in one recent cycle, plus a defined expedition base at Linnet Clough campsite.

Clubs and student initiatives named in school communications include Gardening Club, Journalism Club, Construction Club, Art Club, and the Young Interpreters Culture Club. The Hive is described as a lunchtime club intended to tackle loneliness and support friendship-building.

Trips and experiences also feature as part of the wider offer. Formal reporting references a trip to Amsterdam as a recent example, and school newsletters describe pilgrimage-linked opportunities such as Lourdes trips in the wider diocesan context.

The school day is clearly structured. Students can arrive from 8:00am, line-up begins at 8:30am, and the school day ends at 3:10pm.

Transport information is practical rather than generic: the school notes it is just off the A6, with the 192 bus route running between Hazel Grove and Manchester, with services at least every 10 minutes during peak times.

Wraparound care is not typically a feature of secondary schools; for families needing early drop-off supervision beyond the published start times, it is sensible to ask directly about breakfast or pre-school supervision arrangements and any after-school provision beyond clubs.

• EBacc profile. EBacc entry and outcomes are a significant part of the academic picture, and families with a strong preference for a heavily academic GCSE pathway should ask how subject uptake is being developed and what support is provided for students aiming for the full suite.

• Consistency between classrooms. Formal reporting highlights that assessment checks are not always executed consistently. For some students, that can mean gaps in knowledge taking longer to identify and address.

• Attendance expectations and consequences. The school is explicit about punctuality and uses same-day sanctions for late arrival. That clarity suits many families, but it is worth checking how support is balanced with consequences for students with complex circumstances.

• Faith criteria in admissions. Catholic priority categories, partner primary links, and parish connection matter in oversubscription. Families applying outside those categories should take advice on realistic chances and consider a strong set of alternative preferences.

St Anne's RC Voluntary Academy suits families who want a Catholic secondary where routines, expectations, and pastoral structures are explicit, and where the school’s improvement work is visible in curriculum planning and behaviour systems. It is also a sensible option for students who benefit from clear boundaries, structured days, and a strong pastoral spine. Admission is the main variable for many applicants, especially where faith priority categories do not apply, so shortlisting should be done with careful attention to the oversubscription criteria and realistic alternatives.