St Philip Howard Catholic Voluntary Academy
Glossop, SK13 8DR · Derbyshire · secondary school
Check the area around this school
20th of 45 secondary schools in Derbyshire 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 — 7.5/10 against 835 of them, against 6.3/10 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 | 20 | 35% | 0.71 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 48.2 · 59 | 30% | 1.76 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.22 · 66 | 25% | 1.66 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 49.2 · 67 | 10% | 0.67 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
St Philip Howard Catholic Voluntary Academy overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 25.2% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 40.5, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 stood at +0.22 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Its results are much the same when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds, so the gap is not explained by intake (3.6 out of 10 against similar schools, 3.3 out of 10 against all schools). Ofsted inspected the school in January 2026 under the new framework, which grades areas separately without an overall grade.
Getting in
The published school roll is 577 pupils against a stated capacity of 485. 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
Since the January 2026 inspection uses a new framework without an overall grade, which specific areas received the highest scores? How does the school support pupils to close the attainment gap relative to the national median
What Ofsted said about St Philip Howard Catholic Voluntary Academy
Overview
The inspection found that the school meets safeguarding standards and achieves a 'Strong standard' in attendance, behaviour, and personal development. In achievement, curriculum, teaching, inclusion, and leadership, the school meets the 'Expected standard', with leaders actively working to close attainment gaps and improve consistency.
Strengths
- Attendance is a priority, with staff working tirelessly to remove barriers; pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have high attendance.
- A 'calm, respectful and highly supportive' culture exists, where bullying is rare and relationships are 'warm and trusting'.
- Personal development is 'carefully planned', helping pupils build resilience, empathy, and confidence for future life.
- Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included, accessing the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.
- Governance is effective, with trustees providing 'robust challenge and support' and engaging positively with the community.
Areas to improve
- Leaders should ensure high-quality teaching is embedded across the school, particularly regarding how well teachers adapt their teaching for all pupils.
- Leaders need to strengthen leadership expertise and improve the evaluation of the school’s work to sustain improvement.
- Consistency in adaptive teaching and the evaluation of support packages for pupils requires greater attention.
Safeguarding
The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an open culture where concerns are actively identified, acted upon, and managed, ensuring pupils feel safe.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 43.8 |
| 2024/25 | 40.5 |
| 2025/26 | 49.2 |
| 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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