St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy Review 2026

For families seeking a Catholic secondary with a clear sense of order and a strong extracurricular spine, St Thomas à Becket sits as a practical, mainstream choice in Wakefield. It is part of The Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust, and leadership changed in September 2022, a point that matters because many recent school improvements across England begin with clarity on curriculum, routines, and staff development.

Day-to-day structures are explicit, with an early start and a defined finish, plus clubs after the compulsory day. Admissions for Year 7 entry are run through Wakefield’s coordinated system, with a school-specific Catholic supplementary form required alongside the local authority application for those seeking faith priority.

The school presents itself as Catholic for the whole community, welcoming families of all faiths and none, while still placing Catholic life and mission at the centre of its identity. That balance typically plays out in practical ways, such as the prominence of chaplaincy activity, the language used around virtues, and the rhythm of services and celebrations across the year.

It is also a school that leans into participation. Students are pointed towards ensembles, productions, sport, and events that require commitment rather than casual attendance. The tone here is purposeful, and the school makes a point of celebrating achievement while keeping expectations consistent across classrooms and corridors.

A notable feature is the integrated Communication Resource, designed for students with autism or speech and language needs from across the district, with 20 places and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The model described is integration-first, with students spending most lessons in mainstream classes and receiving targeted support from specialist staff as required.

Results data places the school in line with the middle 35% of secondary schools in England (25th to 60th percentile) for GCSE outcomes. In FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking based on official data, it is ranked 2058th in England and 13th in Wakefield for GCSE outcomes.

At GCSE level, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 46.5. Progress is a key indicator for parents, and the Progress 8 score is 0.29, which suggests students, on average, make above-average progress from their starting points across the GCSE suite. The average EBacc APS score is 4.08, and 12.4% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure.

A realistic reading of these indicators is that the school’s impact is more visible in progress than in headline top-grade concentration. That can suit families who value a school that improves outcomes through structure, teaching consistency, and targeted intervention, rather than relying on a highly selective intake.

The curriculum is described with a level of specificity that parents can interrogate. For example, the school sets students in mathematics, while keeping other subjects largely mixed ability, a model that aims to secure strong foundations in a core discipline without narrowing the wider peer experience too early.

Religious education is positioned as a core part of learning rather than an add-on, with significant time allocation earlier in the school, and links made to wider personal development and values. Options at Key Stage 4 retain a clear core, with a broad menu of subjects around it, giving students multiple routes to a workable GCSE profile while keeping expectations coherent across the year group.

Academic support is also framed as normal. Homework Club is explicitly listed as running four days a week after school, which matters for families who want a supervised, resourced space to complete work, especially where home set-ups are crowded or device access is limited.

Where Students Go Next

With no sixth form on site, the school’s post-16 story is about transition quality rather than internal progression. Careers guidance is framed around exposure to local post-16 providers, assemblies, and fairs, helping students and families understand the difference between sixth form, college, and technical pathways before applications are due.

For many families, the most useful way to evaluate this is to ask how early guidance begins, whether students receive targeted support with applications and interviews, and how well the school supports students who are undecided late in Year 11. The school’s published approach suggests a planned model rather than a last-minute one, but families should still test this in conversation, especially for competitive post-16 courses.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through Wakefield. For entry in September 2026, the deadline for on-time applications is 31 October 2025, and Wakefield’s parent portal opens 1 September 2025 for that cohort. The school also publishes a Year 7 timeline and confirms the same closing date, alongside National Offer Day on Monday 2 March 2026.

As a Catholic school, faith-based oversubscription criteria apply. The practical implication is that some applicants will need to complete a Secondary Supplementary Information Form and provide supporting evidence where relevant, in addition to the local authority application. Families who are open to Catholic education but are not practising Catholics should read the admissions policy carefully, because priority categories can materially affect the likelihood of an offer when the school is oversubscribed.

Parents comparing options can use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check realistic travel distances, then overlay that with the school’s admissions criteria and the local authority guide to avoid decisions based on assumptions.

Pastoral is presented as structured, with clearly identified roles and teams. The school highlights a welfare and safeguarding approach that routes concerns through known adults, such as form tutors and behaviour managers, which generally supports early identification and consistent follow-up.

For students who need additional support, the Communication Resource provides a defined pathway. Its published description includes social skills development as part of the normal week, and named interventions such as Lego therapy, alongside tailored schemes and access to wider support where required. The best parent questions here are practical ones, such as how time is split between mainstream and resource, what training mainstream staff receive, and how transitions are handled at Year 6 to Year 7 and again into Year 10.

Extracurricular provision is a signature, with a strong emphasis on performance and competition.

Sport has both participation and achievement language around it. Football, rugby, netball, cycling, and athletics are all referenced, with claims of regional success across multiple year groups. The cycling offer is unusually concrete for a school website, with the school referencing a cycle circuit built to British Cycling standards, plus facilities that external groups can hire, and on-site parking.

Performing arts are framed around large-scale productions, with recent titles including Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray, Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. Music is equally anchored in specific events, including hosting the regional Music for Youth Festival and entering groups regularly, plus an Orchestra and Band and a Massed Choir that feature in services and celebrations.

For students who thrive on belonging to a team, cast, ensemble, or competition squad, these are not marginal extras. They shape the week, widen friendship groups beyond tutor groups, and give students reasons to attend and contribute that are not purely academic.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual associated costs, such as uniform, trips, and optional enrichment.

The school day runs from morning registration at 08:35, with the compulsory day ending at 15:05. Co-curricular clubs run after that finish time. For travel, the school describes itself as being on the A61 with good parking, and notes that Agbrigg railway station is adjacent to the cycle track, which is a useful reference point for rail users.

• Ages 11 to 16 only. There is no sixth form, so families should treat post-16 planning as a standard part of Year 10 and Year 11 decision-making, especially where a particular college course or sixth form entry requirement matters.

• Catholic admissions criteria are material. Priority can depend on faith-related evidence and forms, so families who are not already familiar with the process should read the admissions policy early and complete the supplementary form correctly.

• The Communication Resource is a distinct offer with limited places. It is capped at 20 places and requires an EHCP, so families considering it should explore timelines, staffing, and integration expectations well ahead of transition.

• GCSE outcomes are broadly in line with England’s middle range. The academic fit may be strongest for students who respond well to structure, consistent expectations, and planned intervention, rather than those seeking an especially exam-selective environment.

St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy is a structured, Catholic 11 to 16 with a clear emphasis on participation, strong co-curricular identity, and a meaningful SEND inclusion offer through its Communication Resource. The latest Ofsted inspection in March 2023 graded the school Good overall, with Good judgements across the main areas.

Best suited to families who want a Catholic setting that welcomes a broad community, value a busy extracurricular life alongside steady academic progress, and are prepared to engage early with admissions requirements and post-16 planning.