St James' Catholic High School
St James' Way, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, SK8 6PZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
St James' Catholic High School is a secondary school in Cheadle for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 131 schools in Stockport. It ranks 5th of 13 secondary schools in Stockport. Its latest Ofsted outcome is a report card, from an inspection in April 2026.
Ofsted report card
Inspected 28 April 2026, report published 21 June 2026
Each area is graded from urgent improvement to exceptional, and safeguarding is either met or not met.
- Inclusion
- Expected standard
- Curriculum and teaching
- Expected standard
- Achievement
- Expected standard
- Attendance and behaviour
- Expected standard
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Strong standard
- Leadership and governance
- Expected standard
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 28 April 2026
There is a strong sense of belonging within this Catholic school community. Pupils are happy and benefit from positive relationships with staff. They demonstrate the school's values of family, faith and excellence. Pupils value the support that staff offer them academically and pastorally. They know where to access help if they need it. This helps them to feel safe. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. Because of this and the support they receive, most pupils achieve well. Those who have additional barriers to learning, such as special educational needs and/or disabilities, are quickly identified and given appropriate help. Pupils benefit from an impressive offer to further their personal development, from trampolining to 'Dungeons and Dragons' club. They understand fundamental British values such as democracy and tolerance and how these values are relevant in their own lives. Pupils develop a secure knowledge of the range of post-16 options open to them. They leave the school ready for their next steps into further education, employment or training. Pupils understand what behaviours are expected of them. In lessons and at social times, they behave well. Pupils are polite and courteous. When issues such as bullying occur, they know that staff will deal with these quickly and effectively. Most pupils attend school regularly. When there are barriers to their attendance, leaders put in place effective support to help pupils overcome these.
What the school should improve
- Leaders should ensure that the strategies they are using to close gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils nationally are effective.
- Leaders should ensure that the strategies they use to improve attendance rapidly lead to high attendance for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
- Leaders should ensure that gaps in knowledge and skills in writing are quickly identified and addressed for all pupils in all year groups.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
165 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
824 pupils on roll, with places for 825
Schools near St James' Catholic High School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheadle Hulme High School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted judgements: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 60.7 |
| Cheadle Hulme School | 0.6 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 16.9 |
| North West Hospital School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Laurus Cheadle Hulme | 1 mile | Ofsted: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 54.5 |
| Bramhall High School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 51.7 |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Mr Anthony Pontifex
- Phone
- 01614826900
- Address
- St James' Way, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, SK8 6PZ
- Local authority
- Stockport
- URN
- 106142
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.