St Michael's Catholic School

State school · Mixed · ages 3–19 · with sixth form · Roman CatholicBuckinghamshire, High Wycombe HP11school website

Four in five sixth-formers go on to university — nearly double the England rate.

Where this school leads
78%

of sixth-form leavers started university · Buckinghamshire 52% · England 37% · DfE destination measures, students who left in 2023

Knowledge sphere of St Michael's Catholic 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): 43%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): 39%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): 46%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): 7%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): 35%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): 45%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): 19%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): 12%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): 14%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): 24%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): 32%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): 51%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
Report card
Places
—
Pupils
2,414
Free school meals
20.3%

Ofsted: Inspected 10 February 2026 · report. Places: the last distance at which places were offered is not on file (it comes from Buckinghamshire’s allocation statistics). Pupils: of 2,220 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 Michael's Catholic School (URN 110516, until 1 April 2023).

After Year 11 · age 16

Where do pupils go at 16?

96%stayed in education after Year 11
This school96%
Buckinghamshire91%
England86%

DfE Key Stage 4 destination measures · 258 pupils who left Year 11 in 2023

Of the 258 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Michael's Catholic School in 2023, 57% stayed on in St Michael's Catholic School’s own sixth form (Buckinghamshire average 61%), 29% went to a further education college and 1% 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
MeasureSt Michael's Catholic SchoolBuckinghamshireEngland
Pupils in the cohort2586,459607,348
Any sustained destination99%95%92%
Stayed in education96%91%86%
— school sixth form57%61%34%
— sixth form college9%5%13%
— further education college29%22%37%
— other education—3%2%
Apprenticeship1%2%3%
Employment2%2%3%
No sustained destination—3%6%
Destination unknown1%2%3%
After sixth form · age 18

Where do sixth-formers go at 18?

12%went to one of the most selective universities
This school12%
Buckinghamshire38%
England19%

DfE 16–18 destination measures · 49 students who left in 2023

78% went to university (England 37%). 8% started an apprenticeship (England 7%). 10% went into work and 0% 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
MeasureSt Michael's Catholic SchoolBuckinghamshireEngland
Students in the cohort495,316541,441
Any sustained destination96%85%79%
University (higher education)78%52%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students12%38%19%
Further education0%2%5%
Apprenticeship8%5%7%
Employment10%25%28%
No sustained destination0%10%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 Bristol20255<5—
2024<5<5—
2023<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?

49.1Attainment 8 score, out of 90
This school49.1
Buckinghamshire53.4
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 · 332 pupils in Year 11

14% of pupils here are disadvantaged (England 28%). Disadvantaged pupils here scored 43.3 — above disadvantaged pupils across England (34.9).

46% got grade 5 or above in both English and maths (Buckinghamshire 59%, 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
MeasureSt Michael's Catholic SchoolBuckinghamshireEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)49.153.446.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths46%59%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths68%74%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects28%43%41%
EBacc average point score4.244.794.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort14%16%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils43.334.534.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils50.156.950.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)———
English as an additional language37%19%19%
Subjects · 2025

What do pupils study?

41.68%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

Religious Studies stands out at GCSE — 98% of the year group took it, against 31% across England. At A level it is Law: 27% of students (England 4%).

Green & Sustainability51%
Natural Sciences46%
Health & Safety45%
Language & Communication44%
Mathematics & Statistics39%

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

GCSE subjects26

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
English Language33099%89%22%20%77%
Mathematics33099%88%17%22%72%
English Literature32698%86%26%21%83%
Religious Studies32498%31%27%32%74%
Combined Science24774%65%10%9%62%
Geography18556%41%11%25%57%
History15747%41%24%26%73%
Business Studies8927%18%15%20%66%
Physical Education8425%11%12%24%52%
Physics8325%23%30%46%87%
Chemistry8325%23%35%47%92%
Biology8325%23%34%45%95%
French7121%18%27%29%73%
Fine Art5316%9%21%28%98%
Media Studies4915%4%18%20%69%
3D Design3811%2%3%16%66%
Drama309%7%27%27%80%
Polish278%1%96%84%100%
Computer Science206%13%20%30%55%
Food Preparation and Nutrition206%8%0%21%50%
Music62%5%50%33%100%
Spanish31%19%—27%—
Italian21%0%—53%—
Urdu10%1%—42%—
Turkish10%0%—71%—
Portuguese10%0%—50%—
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications1
SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Computer Appreciation / Introduction68100%—
A level subjects18

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

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Business Studies2641%13%
Psychology1829%23%
Law1727%4%
Biology1524%20%
English Literature1117%11%
Mathematics1117%31%
Sociology1117%13%
Media Studies1016%4%
Physical Education914%3%
Physics610%12%
Geography610%10%
Chemistry610%17%
Art and Design——1%
French——1%
History——13%
Polish——0%
Religious Studies——4%
Fine Art——3%
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses8
SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Computer Architecture / SystemsBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*2337%—
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)2032%—
Social ScienceVRQ Level 31117%—
Mathematical StudiesCore Maths Qualifications at Level 31016%—
PhysicsGCE AS level (All)———
ChemistryGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)———
ChemistryGCE AS level (All)———
MathematicsGCE AS level (All)———
A level results8
MeasureSt Michael's Catholic SchoolBuckinghamshireEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study214——
— of whom A level students633,838261,341
Average A level gradeDBB-
Average points per A level entry19.6940.3735.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsD+BB-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects3%33%18%
Average grade, applied general courses———
Average grade, T levels———
Fields of knowledge, all stages12
Green & Sustainability60%
Natural Sciences56%
Language & Communication56%
Health & Safety55%
Mathematics & Statistics46%
Transversal Skills43%
Engineering & Manufacturing40%
Arts & Humanities31%
Business & Administration21%
Digital & ICT Skills21%
Law & Public Administration19%
Social & Cultural Skills18%

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

fraction 16.4percentage 11.4ratio 11.2gradient 9.7vocabulary 8.9reflection 7.9power 7.7translation 7.6equation 7.3particle model 7.2root 7.1grammar 7.0energy transfer 6.9audience 6.7evidence 6.3area 6.3standard form 6.2scale 6.1formulae 6.0percentage change 6.0graph 5.9impact 5.9context 5.7change of state 5.5

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, percentage, graph from Business Studies, Geography, Mathematics and 11 more · jobs: consumer electronics repair technician, industrial electrician, electrician
ScientistLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses conclusion, data interpretation, experimental design from Biology, Chemistry, Geography and 9 more · jobs: physicist, analytical chemist, geneticist
Process industry manufacturing technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses pressure, conservation of mass, energy change from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and 4 more · jobs: chemical engineering technician, chemical manufacturing quality technician, chemical production manager
More apprenticeships9
Geoscientist (integrated degree)Level 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses data interpretation, climate change, conduct field work from Business Studies, Geography, Physical Education and 6 more · jobs: geologist, geological engineer, exploration geologist
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
Battery manufacturing technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses area, unit conversion, volume from Chemistry, Physics, Chemistry and 4 more · jobs: battery test technician
Data technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · digital · uses mean, integer, chart from Geography, Mathematics, Psychology and 9 more · jobs: data analyst, database administrator, data scientist
Non-destructive technologies technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses ratio, data interpretation, measurement from Business Studies, Mathematics, Physical Education and 6 more
Artificial intelligence (AI) data specialistLevel 7 degree apprenticeship · digital · uses presentation, experimental design, data presentation from Business Studies, Geography, Mathematics and 8 more · jobs: ICT intelligent systems designer
Production assistant - screen and audioLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · creative and design · uses spelling, punctuation, grammar from Media Studies, English Literature, Media Studies and 2 more · jobs: factory hand, supply chain assistant, management assistant
Water industry network technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses standard form, unit conversion, volume from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and 3 more · jobs: sewerage network operative, product quality inspector, sewerage maintenance technician
Digital and technology solutions professionalLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · digital · uses conclusion, data collection, analysis from Biology, Business Studies, Geography and 9 more · jobs: business analyst, ICT consultant, business economics researcher
Admissions

How do you get a place?

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

  1. 31 OctApply to Buckinghamshire 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
Buckinghamshire

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.