St Nicholas Catholic High School

A good voluntary aided school school in Cheshire West and Chester. Explore Ofsted ratings, admissions information, and performance data for St Nicholas Catholic High School.

Northwich, CW81JW Ofsted: Good Age 11-18 Mixed intake
Back to School Search

Performance Score

Overall school rating

60

/ 100

Secondary with Sixth Form weighted harmonic mean of 5 indicators

Indicators used for Secondary with Sixth Form schools

Progress 8 score
58.1
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: 0.17
English & Maths grade 4+ %
63.1
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: 76.1%
Continue in education or training
52.0
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: 58.0%
Sustained employment
54.6
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: 26.0%
Ofsted inspection outcome
75.0
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: Good

How we weight each phase

Tap to toggle

Primary schools

  • KS2 pupils meeting expected standard 40.0%
  • KS2 pupils exceeding expected standard 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

Secondary schools

  • Progress 8 score 40.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

All-through schools

  • Progress 8 score 25.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 20.0%
  • KS2 pupils meeting expected standard 20.0%
  • KS2 pupils exceeding expected standard 15.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 20.0%

Secondary with Sixth Form schools

  • Progress 8 score 20.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 20.0%
  • Continue in education or training 20.0%
  • Sustained employment 20.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 20.0%

Sixth Form Only schools

  • Continue in education or training 40.0%
  • Sustained employment 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

Special schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Alternative Provision schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Independent schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Ofsted Inspection

Official inspection outcomes

Good
Overall effectiveness
Good
Last inspected
5 March 2024
Previous grade
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

Source: Ofsted inspection outcomes. Grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate.

Contact Information

How to reach this school

Source: GIAS
Address
Greenbank Lane
Hartford
Northwich, CW81JW

Location

Find the school on the map

Source: Geocoding

School Information

Basic details and characteristics

Source: GIAS
URN
111450
Type
Voluntary aided school
Phase
Secondary with Sixth Form
Address
Greenbank Lane, Hartford, Northwich, CW8 1JW
Age range
11-18
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic
School status
Open
Capacity
1240 pupils
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Diocese
Diocese of Shrewsbury
Sixth Form
Yes
Nursery
No

School Performance Data

Official government statistics

Source: DfE

School Demographics

Total Pupils
1,202
Free School Meals
13.7% (165 pupils)
Special Educational Needs
2.7% (32 pupils)

Daily Attendance

Attendance Rate
91.2%
Good
Persistent Absence
25.2%
Missing 10%+ of school days

Detailed Performance Metrics

Attainment 8 Scores
Attainment 8:
49.9
Ebacc Attainment 8:
14.4
English Attainment 8:
10.9
Maths Attainment 8:
9.8
Open Subjects Attainment 8:
14.8
EBacc Subject Performance
Ebacc Attainment 8:
14.4
Ebacc English:
98.5%
Ebacc Entry:
37.1%
Ebacc Humanities:
92.4%
Ebacc Languages:
66.0%
Ebacc Maths:
99.0%
Ebacc Sciences:
99.5%
Progress Measures
Progress 8:
0.17
Progress 8 Range:
-0.03 to 0.37
University Progression:
56.0%

Real Success Rates

What happens to students after they leave this school

Continue Education
58.0%
University, college, or sixth form
Enter Employment
26.0%
Full or part-time jobs
Start Apprenticeships
4.0%
Learning while earning
Not in Education or Work
10.0%
NEET - needs support

Sixth Form University Progression

Where sixth form students go after graduation

University Progression
56%
Quality: Good
Sixth Form Size
106 students
Per cohort
Apprenticeships
4.0%

Key Performance Indicators

English & Maths Grade 5+:
76.1 (+24.1 vs average)
EBacc Entry:
37.1 (+17.7 vs average)
Attainment 8:
49.9 (+10.4 vs average)
Progress 8:
0.17 (+0.4 vs average)

Calculated Fields

Derived insights and analysis

Source: Calculated

Class Size Information

Average Class Size
75 pupils
Large Classes
Pupils per Year Group
150
Average across all year groups
Total School Size
1,202 pupils
11-18

Subjects This School Excels At

Subjects where students perform significantly above national average

Computer Studies/Computing (GCE A level)
(6 students)
Biology (GCE A level)
(7 students)
Psychology (GCE A level)
(20 students)
Business Studies:Single (GCE A level)
(17 students)
Geography (GCE A level)
(12 students)

Strong performance in 5 subjects

From the School Website

Information extracted from the school's own website

Source: School Website

Ethos & Values

"In Omnibus Labora"

Respect for others Respect for yourself Respect for the School Ready to Learn

The Catholic Church shares its main beliefs with the other major Christian churches around the world: belief in the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), belief in Jesus Christ, and belief in the Holy Spirit. At St Nicholas Catholic High School, faith informs all aspects of the curriculum, including RE and RSHE, and Catholic Social Teaching underpins school life. The chapel is open for prayer and reflection, daily prayers and liturgies are part of school life, and Catholic teaching shapes pastoral and academic programmes. The school emphasises service to the poor and vulnerable and promotes Gospel values through its pastoral curriculum and mission days.

Head Teacher's Message

The Headteacher welcomes students and emphasises high academic standards within a Catholic ethos. The school is described as a ‘Good’ school (Ofsted, March 2024) with a focus on helping students realise their God-given talents and ensuring Everyone Matters.

Facilities

Library with over 24,000 resources (print and electronic) SORA secondary eBooks Laptops Book Club Times archive access

SEND Provision

SEND provision includes Autism Resource Centre (ARC), Inclusion Officer, SENCo, and support staff. The library and reading intervention programmes (e.g., Lexonik) are used to support literacy, with processes for reading testing and intervention, disciplinary literacy across departments, and opportunities for wider literacy activities.

Admissions Criteria

St Nicholas welcomes Catholic students from partner primary schools and non-Catholic families. Admissions follow local authority processes with a Supplementary Information Form, baptism certificate if available, and linked Admissions Policies for 2026/27 and 2027/28. In-year transfers are also accommodated following specified criteria.

Financial Information

Bursaries: Available

Other Secondary with Sixth Form Schools in Cheshire West and Chester

Compare with nearby schools