Academy converter

Painsley Catholic College

Mixed · ages 11–18 · with sixth form · Roman CatholicStaffordshire, West Midlands · Stoke-on-Trent ST10 1LHTrust: St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,340of 1,447 places
Free school meals
13.7%
Year 11 cohort 2025
221
Ofsted
Good, 17 May 2022Read the Ofsted report

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Painsley Catholic College (URN 124456, until 1 September 2012).

What the data says

Of the 215 pupils who finished Year 11 at Painsley Catholic College in 2023, 46% stayed on in Painsley Catholic College’s own sixth form (Staffordshire average 33%), 31% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.

GCSE results in 2025 were well above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 58.8 against 46.1 across England and 43.9 in Staffordshire, with 64% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).

Among the 113 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 47% went to university (Staffordshire 33%, England 37%), and 21% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally; 20% started an apprenticeship, well above the 7% England average.

German is unusually popular at GCSE: 44% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.

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 Staffordshire and England.

Painsley Catholic College
Staffordshire
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasurePainsley Catholic CollegeStaffordshireEngland
Pupils in the cohort2159,264607,348
Any sustained destination94%92%92%
Stayed in education86%84%86%
— school sixth form46%33%34%
— sixth form college9%3%13%
— further education college31%46%37%
— other education2%2%
Apprenticeship4%5%3%
Employment5%3%3%
No sustained destination4%6%6%
Destination unknown2%2%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

Painsley Catholic College
Staffordshire
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasurePainsley Catholic CollegeStaffordshireEngland
Students in the cohort1137,985541,441
Any sustained destination90%81%79%
University (higher education)47%33%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students21%11%19%
Further education1%4%5%
Apprenticeship20%11%7%
Employment22%33%28%
No sustained destination6%14%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasurePainsley Catholic CollegeStaffordshireEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)58.843.946.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths64%40%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths82%62%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects86%33%41%
EBacc average point score5.413.784.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort13%23%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils52.132.934.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils59.847.150.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language5%8%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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
English Literature221100%86%36%21%86%
Mathematics221100%88%31%22%86%
English Language221100%89%37%20%82%
Religious Studies21999%31%47%32%86%
Combined Science15771%65%13%9%79%
Geography13360%41%38%25%80%
History10648%41%43%26%83%
German9844%5%15%33%69%
Spanish9141%19%14%27%62%
Business Studies8840%18%44%20%86%
Design and Technology8137%11%43%23%89%
Chemistry6128%23%67%47%100%
Biology6128%23%87%45%100%
Physics6128%23%67%46%100%
Art and Design4420%7%57%24%89%
Computer Science3315%13%42%30%85%
Photography2913%6%41%19%97%
Drama2110%7%67%27%90%
Music209%5%50%33%75%
Polish73%1%100%84%100%
Russian10%0%87%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Sports Studies4047%
Small Business Management2226%
Health Studies2124%
Computer Appreciation / Introduction1619%
Hospitality / Catering Studies1619%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasurePainsley Catholic CollegeStaffordshireEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study204
— of whom A level students862,938261,341
Average A level gradeB-C+B-
Average points per A level entry36.7133.4335.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsB-C+B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects17%14%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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematics3338%31%
Biology2226%20%
Sociology2226%13%
Chemistry2226%17%
Psychology2124%23%
English Literature2023%11%
Business Studies1922%13%
Physics1113%12%
Economics910%13%
History910%13%
Religious Studies89%4%
Geography89%10%
Computer Science78%5%
Art and Design1%
3D Design1%
Fine Art3%
Drama2%
Product Design2%
English Language4%
Further Mathematics5%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
MathematicsGCE AS level (All)3541%
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)1619%
Sports / Movement ScienceBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*89%
Further MathematicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)78%
Further MathematicsGCE AS level (All)78%
Applied SciencesVRQ Level 3
Health StudiesBTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D*
Health StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*
Business StudiesGCE AS level (All)
PsychologyGCE AS level (All)
SociologyGCE AS level (All)
Business StudiesGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
MathematicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
PsychologyGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
SociologyGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)

Other secondary schools in Staffordshire

Abbot Beyne School

Voluntary controlled school · sixth form · 834 pupils

87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.4

Alleyne's Academy

Academy converter · sixth form · 846 pupils

90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.7

Biddulph High School

Academy converter · sixth form · 746 pupils

84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.3

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.