St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy

  • Secondary
  • Academy
  • Ages 11 to 16
Ofsted: Good

Bridge Road, Bury, BL9 0TZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy is a secondary school in Bury for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 90 schools in Bury. It ranks 3rd of 7 secondary schools in Bury. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 7 March 2023, report published 3 May 2023

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 March 2023

Most pupils feel happy and safe at this school. They told inspectors that it is a welcoming place where it is easy to make friends. Pupils have trusting relationships with staff and are confident that their concerns will be taken seriously. Incidents of bullying are dealt with well by leaders. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have prioritised curriculum development to ensure that pupils access a well-designed curriculum. As a result, pupils achieve highly. Leaders have raised their expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils are expected to engage with leaders' core values of strength, service and success. The majority of pupils meet leaders' high expectations. They behave well and typically work hard. Leaders provide a range of extra-curricular opportunities, which pupils enjoy. These include taking part in the school musical, sporting activities and learning British sign language. Pupils are encouraged to contribute to the wider school community. For example, pupils take on roles such as mental health representatives, and some older pupils act as peer mentors to younger pupils.

What the school should improve

  • Leaders' approach to identifying and supporting pupils who are struggling to read is underdeveloped, particularly in key stage 4. Consequently, some older pupils do not receive the help they need in a timely and effective way. This hinders their learning of the curriculum and prevents them from achieving as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that appropriate support is in place for these pupils so that they learn to read accurately and fluently.
  • Some groups of pupils do not attend school as often as they should. Therefore, these pupils do not fully access the curriculum, and they do not experience all that the school has to offer. Leaders should take effective action to improve the attendance of these pupils.

Exam results

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

208 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score46.0

46.0, 0.1 below the England average of 46.1.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths38.5%

38.5%, 6.9 percentage points below the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths63%

63%, 1.8 percentage points below the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc28.8%

28.8%, 11.7 percentage points below the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score3.96

3.96, 0.13 below the England average of 4.09.

Pupil numbers and mix

1,027 pupils on roll, with places for 1,050

Eligible for free school meals25.5%

25.5%, 1 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language25.2%

25.2%, 3.6 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support13.1%

13.1%, 1.7 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan4.7%

4.7%, 1.3 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Bury Grammar Schools0.2 milesNo Ofsted inspectionAttainment 8: 36.9
Bury Church of England High School0.3 milesReport card: Expected standard to strong standardAttainment 8: 49.1
The Derby High School0.4 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
The Elton High School1 mileReport card: Expected standardAttainment 8: 44.3
Hazel Wood High School1 mileOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 35.7

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
ST TERESA OF CALCUTTA CATHOLIC ACADEMY TRUST
Age range
11 to 16
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic
Sixth form
No
Headteacher
Mr Simon Braithwaite
Address
Bridge Road, Bury, BL9 0TZ
Local authority
Bury
URN
148049

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.