St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy
Secondary · Academy converter · Ages 11–16 · Wakefield
St Thomas à Becket Catholic Secondary School, A Voluntary Academy is a secondary school in Wakefield for ages 11–16 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 29 March 2023.
Key facts
- Address
- Barnsley Road, Wakefield, WF2 6EQ
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Sector
- See recorded establishment type
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Council
- Wakefield
- Pupils on roll
- 762 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 29.7% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 19.9
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 29 March 2023
Strengths
- “Leaders are ambitious and care for the pupils at St Thomas à Beckett.”
- “Leaders are aware of the wide catchment they serve and work to minimise any barriers to pupils’ education.”
- “For example, leaders have supported pupils with transport arrangements when the existing service was removed.”
To improve
- “Leaders are continuing to develop provision in physical education in key stage 4 to allow pupils time to build their understanding of the subject.”
- “However, in some other subjects, teaching activities are not chosen carefully enough to support what teachers want pupils to learn.”
- “Pupils are not given enough time to practise new skills and secure their knowledge before the teaching moves on.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 25 May 2023 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 45% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 46.3 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
More with a 3-month pass
A one-off £9.99 pass, no subscription, unlocks for 3 months:
- Earlier years of applications and offers
- Crime, sold prices, broadband and transport around the school
A last distance offered describes one past year and is not a catchment or a promise of a place. Check with the council before you apply.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Wakefield.
- Kettlethorpe High School 1.1 mi School remains Good
- Trinity Academy Cathedral 1.5 mi Outstanding
- Outwood Academy City Fields 1.9 mi Good
- Crofton Academy 2.2 mi Good
- Horbury Academy 2.6 mi No Ofsted grade
- Outwood Grange Academy 3.5 mi Good
- Outwood Academy Freeston 3.7 mi Not judged
- Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College 3.9 mi No Ofsted grade