Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,152 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.7
Academy converter
Bishop Walsh Catholic School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,076of 1,000 places
- Free school meals
- 12.5%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 172
- Ofsted
- Standards maintained, 8 January 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Bishop Walsh Catholic School (URN 103536, until 1 January 2014).
What the data says
Of the 158 pupils who finished Year 11 at Bishop Walsh Catholic School in 2023, 71% stayed on in Bishop Walsh Catholic School’s own sixth form (Birmingham average 33%), 22% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 109 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 51% went to university (Birmingham 46%, England 37%), and 30% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were well above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 56.0 against 46.1 across England and 46.6 in Birmingham, with 65% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Religious Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 98% of the year group took it, against 31% 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 Birmingham and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Bishop Walsh Catholic School | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 158 | 14,526 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 96% | 90% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 92% | 88% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 71% | 33% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 13% | 13% |
| — further education college | 22% | 39% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 1% | 3% |
| Employment | 0% | 1% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 1% | 4% | 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 | Bishop Walsh Catholic School | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 109 | 10,326 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 90% | 75% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 51% | 46% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 30% | 28% | 19% |
| Further education | 3% | 7% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 4% | 7% |
| Employment | 30% | 17% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 6% | 18% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Bishop Walsh Catholic School | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 56.0 | 46.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 65% | 45% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 80% | 64% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 23% | 48% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.66 | 4.15 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 15% | 48% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 46.3 | 40.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 57.7 | 52.5 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 11% | 39% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 171 | 99% | 88% | 26% | 22% | 86% |
| English Language | 171 | 99% | 89% | 27% | 20% | 85% |
| English Literature | 170 | 99% | 86% | 29% | 21% | 86% |
| Religious Studies | 169 | 98% | 31% | 51% | 32% | 89% |
| Combined Science | 128 | 74% | 65% | 18% | 9% | 74% |
| History | 109 | 63% | 41% | 34% | 26% | 72% |
| Business Studies | 83 | 48% | 18% | 20% | 20% | 69% |
| Physics | 43 | 25% | 23% | 58% | 46% | 100% |
| Biology | 43 | 25% | 23% | 70% | 45% | 100% |
| Chemistry | 43 | 25% | 23% | 74% | 47% | 100% |
| Geography | 38 | 22% | 41% | 24% | 25% | 74% |
| Spanish | 32 | 19% | 19% | 28% | 27% | 69% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 22 | 13% | 8% | 32% | 21% | 95% |
| Fine Art | 22 | 13% | 9% | 18% | 28% | 86% |
| Media Studies | 19 | 11% | 4% | 0% | 20% | 53% |
| Physical Education | 18 | 10% | 11% | 61% | 24% | 100% |
| Photography | 18 | 10% | 6% | 11% | 19% | 94% |
| Computer Science | 18 | 10% | 13% | 22% | 30% | 83% |
| French | 12 | 7% | 18% | 42% | 29% | 67% |
| Drama | 11 | 6% | 7% | 45% | 27% | 91% |
| Polish | 11 | 6% | 1% | 100% | 84% | 100% |
| Dance | 7 | 4% | 1% | 29% | 27% | 100% |
| Music | 6 | 3% | 5% | 33% | 33% | 50% |
| Italian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Citizenship Studies | 1 | 1% | 3% | — | 19% | — |
| Modern Greek | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 33% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Childcare Skills | 13 | 12% | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | 9 | 8% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 9 | 8% | — |
| Small Business Management | 5 | 4% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Bishop Walsh Catholic School | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 227 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 112 | 4,724 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 30.53 | 34.88 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 10% | 22% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 53 | 47% | 23% |
| Mathematics | 40 | 36% | 31% |
| Biology | 29 | 26% | 20% |
| Economics | 22 | 20% | 13% |
| Business Studies | 20 | 18% | 13% |
| Religious Studies | 18 | 16% | 4% |
| Chemistry | 18 | 16% | 17% |
| English Literature | 15 | 13% | 11% |
| Politics | 13 | 12% | 6% |
| Geography | 13 | 12% | 10% |
| English Language and Literature | 12 | 11% | 2% |
| Physical Education | 12 | 11% | 3% |
| Physics | 11 | 10% | 12% |
| History | 10 | 9% | 13% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 52 | 46% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 21 | 19% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 20 | 18% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 13 | 12% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 6% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
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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.