St Alban's Catholic High School

State school · Mixed · ages 11–18 · with sixth form · Roman CatholicSuffolk, Ipswich IP4school website

About half of sixth-formers go on to university — well above the England rate.

Where this school leads
53%

of sixth-form leavers started university · Suffolk 26% · England 37% · DfE destination measures, students who left in 2023

Knowledge sphere of St Alban's Catholic High School: fields of knowledge mapped by the subjects taken here, by ISCED levelLanguage & Communication · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Language & Communication · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Language & Communication · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 46%Language & Communication · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Language & Communication · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Language & Communication · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Language & Communication · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Language & Communication · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 46%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Mathematics & Statistics · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Natural Sciences · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 44%Natural Sciences · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Natural Sciences · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 5%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Digital & ICT Skills · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 39%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Engineering & Manufacturing · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Health & Safety · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 40%Health & Safety · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Health & Safety · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Business & Administration · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 26%Business & Administration · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Business & Administration · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 1%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Law & Public Administration · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 9%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Social & Cultural Skills · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 26%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Arts & Humanities · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Transversal Skills · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 26%Transversal Skills · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Transversal Skills · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 1 Primary: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 2 Lower secondary (Key Stage 3): 100%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 3 Upper secondary (GCSE, A level): 47%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 4 Post-secondary: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 5 Short-cycle tertiary: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 6 Bachelor's: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 7 Master's: 0%Green & Sustainability · ISCED 8 Doctoral: 0%LanguageMathsScienceICTEngineeringHealthBusinessLawSocialArtsTransversalGreen
Ofsted
Standards kept
Places
—
Pupils
967
Free school meals
20.6%

Ofsted: Short inspection, 24 April 2025: the last full grade still stands · report. Places: the last distance at which places were offered is not on file (it comes from Suffolk’s allocation statistics). Pupils: of 1,020 places, including the sixth form. Free school meals: pupils eligible, a measure of family income.

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Alban's Catholic High School (URN 124864, until 1 February 2012).

After Year 11 · age 16

Where do pupils go at 16?

93%stayed in education after Year 11
This school93%
Suffolk87%
England86%

DfE Key Stage 4 destination measures · 160 pupils who left Year 11 in 2023

Of the 160 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Alban's Catholic High School in 2023, 70% stayed on in St Alban's Catholic High School’s own sixth form (Suffolk average 39%), 22% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.

Stayed in education — counted only if the pupil was still there for two terms of the next year; apprenticeships and jobs are counted the same way.

Full breakdown11
MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Pupils in the cohort1607,591607,348
Any sustained destination96%93%92%
Stayed in education93%87%86%
— school sixth form70%39%34%
— sixth form college0%5%13%
— further education college22%42%37%
— other education1%2%2%
Apprenticeship3%3%3%
Employment1%3%3%
No sustained destination3%5%6%
Destination unknown2%2%3%
After sixth form · age 18

Where do sixth-formers go at 18?

30%went to one of the most selective universities
This school30%
Suffolk10%
England19%

DfE 16–18 destination measures · 83 students who left in 2023

53% went to university (England 37%). 7% started an apprenticeship (England 7%). 17% went into work and 8% had no steady place a year on (England 28% and 16%).

Most selective universities — the third of UK universities whose entrants hold the highest grades; the share is of students who completed level 3 qualifications.

Full breakdown7
MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Students in the cohort837,162541,441
Any sustained destination86%79%79%
University (higher education)53%26%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students30%10%19%
Further education2%6%5%
Apprenticeship7%10%7%
Employment17%36%28%
No sustained destination8%16%16%
Universities · named

Which universities did they go to?

1university has told us how many applied, were offered a place and enrolled

Named universities — most schools do not publish this; the official DfE figures above only say how many went to university and how selective those universities were.

universities’ answers to sch.today’s Freedom of Information requests · request tracker

What universities’ own admissions data say3

For each entry year: how many of this school’s students applied, received an offer and enrolled. Counts under five are shown as “<5” to protect individuals. Applications exclude Clearing; enrolments are students who completed registration.

UniversityEntry yearAppliedOffersEnrolled
University of Bristol202597<5
20247——
202375<5

A university’s enrolment count and a school’s own destinations list can differ: the school counts places accepted in the summer, the university counts students registered in the autumn.

GCSE · Year 11 · 2025

How do GCSE results compare?

46.9Attainment 8 score, out of 90
This school46.9
Suffolk42.8
England46.1

Attainment 8 — average GCSE points across eight subjects, English and maths counted twice; grade 5 in everything scores 50.

DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · 173 pupils in Year 11

21% of pupils here are disadvantaged (England 28%). Disadvantaged pupils here scored 36.0 — above disadvantaged pupils across England (34.9).

42% got grade 5 or above in both English and maths (Suffolk 40%, England 45%).

Grade 5 — a “strong pass”; grade 4 is a “standard pass”. Progress 8 is not published for 2025: this cohort had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020–21, so there is no baseline.

All GCSE measures10
MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)46.942.846.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths42%40%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths65%61%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects23%27%41%
EBacc average point score3.993.704.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort21%25%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils36.030.834.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils49.946.750.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)———
English as an additional language34%10%19%
Subjects · 2025

What do pupils study?

42.34%of the Key Stage 3, GCSE and A level curriculum mapped by the subjects taken here

Mapped — the share of the 3,288 learning outcomes the Department for Education sets for these stages that the subjects taken here cover, weighted by how many pupils take each.

DfE subject entries 2025 · curriculum catalogue by sch.today

Art and Design stands out at GCSE — 28% of the year group took it, against 7% across England. At A level it is Religious Studies: 16% of students (England 4%).

Green & Sustainability47%
Language & Communication46%
Mathematics & Statistics46%
Natural Sciences44%
Health & Safety40%

Fields of knowledge — twelve fields the curriculum catalogue sorts every learning outcome into; the bars show the GCSE and A level ring.

GCSE subjects22

Entries 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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Mathematics173100%88%18%22%71%
English Language173100%89%17%20%74%
English Literature17299%86%17%21%77%
Religious Studies16897%31%11%32%55%
Combined Science13980%65%4%9%63%
Business Studies7745%18%6%20%56%
History7543%41%20%26%72%
Geography5431%41%7%25%56%
Art and Design4828%7%38%24%83%
Design and Technology4124%11%17%23%51%
Biology3218%23%31%45%97%
Food Preparation and Nutrition3218%8%6%21%50%
Physics3218%23%41%46%97%
Chemistry3118%23%42%47%100%
Spanish3017%19%40%27%83%
French2716%18%44%29%67%
Music2012%5%20%33%60%
Drama1911%7%26%27%79%
Textiles1911%2%37%27%68%
Computer Science159%13%40%30%80%
Polish63%1%100%84%100%
Portuguese32%0%—50%—
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications1
SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Sports Coaching3671%—
A level subjects22

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematics2447%31%
Economics2345%13%
Psychology1631%23%
Physics1122%12%
Religious Studies816%4%
Biology714%20%
History612%13%
Further Mathematics612%5%
Computer Science——5%
Drama——2%
Graphic Communication——2%
English Language——4%
English Literature——11%
French——1%
Politics——6%
Art and Design——1%
Physical Education——3%
Sociology——13%
Spanish——2%
Textiles——1%
Chemistry——17%
Photography——3%
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses10
SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematical StudiesCore Maths Qualifications at Level 3816%—
Finance / Accounting (General)VRQ Level 3612%—
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)612%—
Religious StudiesGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)———
Health StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*———
Computer Architecture / SystemsBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*———
Law / Legal StudiesBTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D)———
PsychologyGCE AS level (All)———
Religious StudiesGCE AS level (All)———
PsychologyGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)———
A level results8
MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study131——
— of whom A level students512,713261,341
Average A level gradeCC+B-
Average points per A level entry31.6531.8835.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsC+C+B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects10%11%18%
Average grade, applied general courses———
Average grade, T levels———
Fields of knowledge, all stages12
Language & Communication58%
Green & Sustainability57%
Natural Sciences54%
Mathematics & Statistics52%
Health & Safety51%
Engineering & Manufacturing44%
Transversal Skills37%
Arts & Humanities32%
Business & Administration29%
Digital & ICT Skills19%
Social & Cultural Skills13%
Law & Public Administration8%

Ideas pupils meet most, weighted by the share of the cohort taking the subjects that teach them:

fraction 16.4percentage 11.8ratio 11.2gradient 10.6vocabulary 9.1graph 8.6translation 7.9power 7.7root 7.6equation 7.5reflection 7.5particle model 7.1vector 7.1grammar 7.0audience 6.8energy transfer 6.7standard form 6.4context 6.3exponential function 6.3area 6.2formulae 6.0impact 6.0percentage change 5.9change of state 5.4

Coverage counts a subject’s outcomes in proportion to the share of the cohort entered for it; Combined Science counts as two thirds of the three separate sciences. Levels follow ISCED 2011 as UNESCO maps it for the UK: Key Stage 3 is ISCED 2; GCSE and A level are both ISCED 3. Methodology: about the data.

Careers

Which jobs use what’s taught here?

12apprenticeship standards closely match the subjects pupils take

A match of what’s taught, not of entry requirements: the standards whose knowledge and skills share the most ideas with the GCSEs and A levels taken here, weighted by how many pupils take each subject.

Level 3 / Level 6 — England’s qualification levels: 3 is A level standard, 4–5 are higher apprenticeships, 6 is a bachelor’s degree.

Skills England apprenticeship standards (Open Government Licence v3.0) · ESCO occupations, © European Union, matched by sch.today · how the match works

Water industry asset maintenance technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses ratio, graph, percentage from Economics, Further Mathematics, Mathematics and 12 more · jobs: consumer electronics repair technician, industrial electrician, electrician
Process industry manufacturing technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses pressure, conservation of mass, energy change from Biology, Further Mathematics, Chemistry and 6 more · jobs: chemical engineering technician, chemical manufacturing quality technician, chemical production manager
ScientistLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses conclusion, probability, sampling technique from Biology, Further Mathematics, Mathematics and 7 more · jobs: physicist, analytical chemist, geneticist
More apprenticeships9
Science manufacturing technician 2023Level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses unit conversion, graph, pressure from Biology, Biology, Chemistry and 3 more · jobs: pharmaceutical engineer, chemical manufacturing quality technician, pharmacy technician
Geoscientist (integrated degree)Level 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses data interpretation, climate change, conduct field work from Biology, Chemistry, Geography and 3 more · jobs: geologist, geological engineer, exploration geologist
Battery manufacturing technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses area, unit conversion, volume from Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and 3 more · jobs: battery test technician
Data technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · digital · uses mean, integer, chart from Mathematics, Psychology, Business Studies and 6 more · jobs: data analyst, database administrator, data scientist
Non-destructive technologies technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses ratio, si unit, data presentation from Economics, Mathematics, Biology and 6 more
Aerospace engineerLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses equilibrium, friction, kinematics from Further Mathematics, Mathematics, Chemistry and 3 more · jobs: aerodynamics engineer, aerospace engineer, aircraft maintenance technician
Water industry network technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses standard form, unit conversion, volume from Biology, Chemistry, Design and Technology and 4 more · jobs: sewerage network operative, product quality inspector, sewerage maintenance technician
Artificial intelligence (AI) data specialistLevel 7 degree apprenticeship · digital · uses data presentation, experimental design, presentation from Economics, Mathematics, Psychology and 7 more · jobs: ICT intelligent systems designer
Bulk storage terminal technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses graph, density, unit conversion from Economics, Mathematics, Chemistry and 4 more
Admissions

How do you get a place?

The last distance at which St Alban's Catholic High School offered Year 7 places is not yet on file; it comes from Suffolk’s allocation statistics.

  1. 31 OctApply to Suffolk in Year 6 for a Year 7 place
  2. 1 MarNational Offer Day
  3. Dec–FebYear 11: apply directly to the sixth form; most close applications in these months
Suffolk

Compare with nearby schools

Stayed in education at 16 · Attainment 8 · pupils

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.