Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School
Voluntary aided school · sixth form · 1,082 pupils
92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.0
Academy converter
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
- Pupils on roll
- 1,537of 1,440 places
- Free school meals
- 10.5%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 248
- Ofsted
- School remains Good, 27 March 2024Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre (URN 110044, until 1 November 2010).
What the data says
Of the 234 pupils who finished Year 11 at Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre in 2023, 53% stayed on in Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre’s own sixth form (Reading average 51%), 18% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 150 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 45% went to university (Reading 56%, England 37%), and 28% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Physical Education is unusually popular at GCSE: 31% of the year group took it, against 11% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 50.4 against 46.1 across England and 50.2 in Reading, with 57% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Reading and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Reading | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 234 | 1,475 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 98% | 93% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 95% | 89% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 53% | 51% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 21% | 9% | 13% |
| — further education college | 18% | 26% | 37% |
| — other education | 3% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 2% | 4% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 0% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Reading | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 150 | 831 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 87% | 86% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 45% | 56% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 28% | 40% | 19% |
| Further education | 3% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 4% | 7% |
| Employment | 36% | 22% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 9% | 8% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Reading | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 50.4 | 50.2 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 57% | 51% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 75% | 66% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 39% | 53% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.61 | 4.64 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 9% | 23% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 32.6 | 32.5 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 52.2 | 55.5 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 15% | 34% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 298 | 100% | 89% | 17% | 20% | 71% |
| Mathematics | 245 | 99% | 88% | 31% | 22% | 81% |
| English Literature | 236 | 95% | 86% | 20% | 21% | 77% |
| Combined Science | 175 | 71% | 65% | 8% | 9% | 67% |
| History | 136 | 55% | 41% | 26% | 26% | 78% |
| Geography | 122 | 49% | 41% | 24% | 25% | 74% |
| Business Studies | 108 | 44% | 18% | 12% | 20% | 56% |
| Physical Education | 78 | 31% | 11% | 6% | 24% | 55% |
| Chemistry | 67 | 27% | 23% | 61% | 47% | 100% |
| Physics | 67 | 27% | 23% | 72% | 46% | 100% |
| Biology | 67 | 27% | 23% | 75% | 45% | 100% |
| Citizenship Studies | 51 | 21% | 3% | 18% | 19% | 71% |
| Music | 47 | 19% | 5% | 47% | 33% | 91% |
| Spanish | 43 | 17% | 19% | 9% | 27% | 65% |
| Computer Science | 34 | 14% | 13% | 24% | 30% | 68% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 34 | 14% | 8% | 3% | 21% | 56% |
| French | 32 | 13% | 18% | 41% | 29% | 91% |
| Chinese | 30 | 12% | 1% | 63% | 75% | 90% |
| Economics | 27 | 11% | 1% | 11% | 34% | 67% |
| Drama | 26 | 10% | 7% | 35% | 27% | 65% |
| Statistics | 22 | 9% | 5% | 68% | 20% | 95% |
| Art and Design | 18 | 7% | 7% | 50% | 24% | 89% |
| Design and Technology | 18 | 7% | 11% | 22% | 23% | 67% |
| Photography | 16 | 6% | 6% | 31% | 19% | 94% |
| Graphic Communication | 16 | 6% | 1% | 31% | 23% | 94% |
| Religious Studies | 10 | 4% | 31% | 10% | 32% | 60% |
| Textiles | 9 | 4% | 2% | 33% | 27% | 78% |
| Portuguese | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
| Modern Greek | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 33% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beauty Care / Services | 20 | 14% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 18 | 13% | — |
| Sports Studies | 9 | 6% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Reading | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 327 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 141 | 754 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 34.39 | 37.73 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | B | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 17% | 36% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 51 | 36% | 31% |
| Biology | 39 | 28% | 20% |
| Sociology | 38 | 27% | 13% |
| Physics | 34 | 24% | 12% |
| Psychology | 30 | 21% | 23% |
| Geography | 30 | 21% | 10% |
| Economics | 24 | 17% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 22 | 16% | 17% |
| Politics | 17 | 12% | 6% |
| History | 17 | 12% | 13% |
| English Language and Literature | 15 | 11% | 2% |
| Business Studies | 14 | 10% | 13% |
| Computer Science | 13 | 9% | 5% |
| English Literature | 11 | 8% | 11% |
| Further Mathematics | 10 | 7% | 5% |
| Fine Art | 8 | 6% | 3% |
| Photography | 7 | 5% | 3% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
| Music Technology | — | — | 0% |
| Russian | — | — | 0% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Chinese | — | — | 0% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Textiles | — | — | 1% |
| Italian | — | — | 0% |
| Japanese | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 17 | 12% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 16 | 11% | — |
| Psychology | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 14 | 10% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 12 | 9% | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Reading
Hartland High School
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 589 pupils
60% stayed in education
Kendrick School
Academy converter · sixth form · 939 pupils
99% stayed in education · Attainment 8 84.0
King's Academy Prospect
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,157 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.8
Maiden Erlegh School in Reading
Free schools · 889 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.6
Reading Girls' School
Academy sponsor led · 905 pupils
90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 51.8
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.