On Thursday 20^th October 2022, provisional performance data for the summer 2022 results was published for all schools nationally.  We are delighted to share that St Mary’s Catholic School achieved the highest academic progress and the highest academic attainment of any secondary school in the North-east of England (out of over 170 secondary schools).

St Mary’s achieved the highest Progress 8 score in the North-east (+0.70).  This is the most accurate measure of gauging a school’s overall academic strength, as it covers the largest proportion of a school’s key exam subject entries and measures how far above (or below) national averages students achieve compared to their starting points. We are delighted that we have now maintained significantly high progress scores since 2007.

We also achieved the highest Attainment 8 Score in the North-east (61).  This score measures the achievement of all students across their 8 best government approved qualifications such as English, Maths and EBacc subjects like Science, History, Geography and Modern Foreign Languages.

Of course, it is important to say that 2022 was a unique year for examinations and results, and the pandemic will have impacted all schools in different ways.

This is a truly outstanding achievement and huge congratulations go to all of our wonderful students and our fantastic teaching and support staff team.

Whilst national performance tables have yet to be finalised for the 2022 summer results, St Mary’s raw attainment continued to be outstanding, and rose still further from 2019. Our 2022 GCSE English and Maths attainment Grade 5+ was 72% and Grade 4+ was 86%. 

Our 2022 Attainment 8 score is our highest ever at 61.1 and is significantly higher than the national average. This score measures the achievement of all students across their 8 best government approved qualifications such as English, Maths and EBacc subjects like Science, History, Geography and Modern Foreign Languages. A notable feature of our outstanding results is the exceptional performance of our upper ability students. In 2022, 46% of all GCSE entries at St Mary’s were graded 9-7, compared with 26% nationally. This reflects the excellent teaching and stretching of our most able. It also reflects the changing nature of St Mary’s intake over the last few years, with an above average proportion of upper ability students in each year group. In 2022 at St Mary’s, 91% of GCSE entries were graded as 9-4 compared with 73% nationally. Again, this reflects the excellent teaching and high aspirations we have for all students, whatever their academic ability. All students at St Mary’s achieve outstanding academic results.

A Level attainment is also very strong and in 2022, we achieved 99% A level pass rate, 40%+ A*-A grades, 68% A*-B and 100% vocational pass rate. In Vocational A Levels, we achieved 99% merit or above and 74% distinctions or starred distinctions. The average point score for virtually all of our A Level subjects (over 25 subjects) was significantly higher than the national average for those subjects.

Our academic progress is equally strong. From 2015-2019 students gained on average over half a grade above their expected progress across eight GCSE subjects (+0.5), the DfE’s Progress 8 measure. This is the most accurate measure of gauging a school’s overall academic strength, as it covers the largest proportion of a school’s key exam subject entries and measures how far above (or below) national averages students achieve compared to their starting points. Our “value-added” and “progress” has been superb for many years now and, whilst this is still to be confirmed, the school’s provisional Progress 8 figure for 2022 is +0.7. 

Secondary Performance Measures*

Progress 8 score

This score shows how much progress pupils at this school made compared to other similar pupils nationally between the end of key stage 2 and the end of key stage 4.

St Mary’s score is +0.7

Entering EBacc

A pupil is considered to have entered for the English Baccalaureate if they entered for qualifications in English, maths, sciences, a language and either history or geography.

At St Mary’s, 58% of students entered the EBacc

Staying in education or entering employment

This shows the number of pupils who either stayed in education or went into employment after finishing key stage 4 (after year 11, usually aged 16).

At St Mary’s, 91% of students stayed in education or entered employment

Attainment 8 score

Schools get a score based on how well pupils have performed in up to 8 qualifications.

St Mary’s score is 61.1

EBacc average point score

The EBacc average points score calculates a pupil’s average point scores across the 5 pillars of the English Baccalaureate.

St Mary’s score is 5.62

*This data is currently unvalidated but we expect it to be published nationally some time around October/November 2022.

For further details about the Sixth Form, please see the Sixth Form tab at the top of the page.

To see further details via the national league tables, please click here.