St Columba's Catholic Boys' School
Bexleyheath, DA6 7QB · Bexley · secondary school
Check the area around this school
7th of 16 secondary schools in Bexley we can score. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 6.7/10 against 901 of them, against 6.1/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 51.5 · 66 | 30% | 1.98 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.04 · 53 | 25% | 1.33 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 48.9 · 65 | 10% | 0.65 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
St Columba's Catholic Boys' School overview
How it's doing
The school is rated Good by Ofsted following a January 2025 inspection. In 2024/25, 53.2% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 51.4, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.04 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (7.3 out of 10 against similar schools, 6.5 out of 10 against all schools).
Getting in
The published school roll is 805 pupils against a stated capacity of 900. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils in raising their Progress 8 scores further? What specific opportunities exist for students to develop skills beyond the core curriculum? How does the school manage class sizes to ensure individual attention for each boy?
What Ofsted said about St Columba's Catholic Boys' School
Overview
St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. Pupils attend this ‘happy, inclusive school’ with high expectations for learning, behaviour and attendance, responding well to the ‘caring community that welcomes and celebrates diversity’. The school continues to provide an ambitious curriculum and strong support for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Strengths
- Pupils ‘behave with courtesy and respect’ and ‘take pride in all they do’, resulting in high attendance and excellent behaviour.
- The curriculum is ‘clear and coherent’, with staff who have ‘secure specialist knowledge’ and explain new ideas with ‘clarity and precision’.
- Pupils with SEND are ‘well supported’ through specially resourced provision and are included in wider opportunities, allowing them to ‘flourish’.
- There is ‘strong provision for pupils’ broader development’, including a ‘vast array of clubs, extracurricular activities and school journeys’.
- Pupils are ‘well prepared for success in the next stage of their lives’, benefiting from individual careers advice and engagement with employers.
Areas to improve
- Assessment is not used consistently well to check and address pupils’ errors and misconceptions, meaning some pupils ‘miss out on key elements of knowledge’ and cannot link their learning to the bigger picture.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 47.4 |
| 2024/25 | 51.4 |
| 2025/26 | 48.9 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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