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St Oscar Romero Catholic School

Secondary · Worthing · BN12 5AF

Data updated

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Outstanding

SchoolFacts estimate: Ofsted awarded no overall grade at this inspection

We show the lowest of the four areas Ofsted did judge, listed below. Why some schools have no overall grade →

Quality of education: OutstandingBehaviour & attitudes: OutstandingPersonal development: OutstandingLeadership & management: OutstandingSafeguarding effective: Yes

Inspected 29 April 2025

Read the Ofsted report ↗

At a glance

1,144 pupils · 95% of 1,200 capacity (January 2026 census)

School type
Voluntary aided school
Age range
11–18
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic
Admissions
Non-selective
Free school meals
12.8% of pupils (January 2026)
English as additional language
7.4% of pupils (2024/2025)
SEN support
16.2% of pupils (2024/2025)
EHC plan
3.9% of pupils (2024/2025)
Sixth form
Yes
Website
http://www.stromeros.co.uk
URN
126096

In figures

For September 2026 entry, 289 families named it first for 172 Year 7 places, 1.68 first choices per place. Its last Year 7 place offered on distance for 2021 entry went to 557.027 m (≈0.35 mi); distance decided places in 1 of the 7 years of Year 7 rounds we hold, 2020 to 2026. At its inspection on 29 April 2025 Ofsted awarded no overall grade; the lowest of the four areas it judged was Outstanding. In the 2025/26 autumn and spring terms its pupils missed 5.1% of sessions, against 6.6% across England.

Admissions demand: Year 7 entry, September 2026

1.68 first-choice applications per place

172 places offered · 289 first-choice applications · heavily oversubscribed

First-choice applications per place, by entry year

19/20
20/21
21/22
22/23
23/24
24/25
25/26
26/27

Source: DfE applications and offers on national offer day · how demand is measured

Catchment area

Catchment area: not named in the council's figures. Places by distance, last offered at 557.027 m (≈0.35 mi) for 2021 entry.

Admissions cutoff distance: Year 7

Last child offered a place under the distance criterion (2021 entry, the most recent year with a distance-only cutoff) lived within 557.027 m (≈0.35 mi)

measurement method not stated by the council.

Cutoff by admission criterion (2026 entry)

Criterion 8
6388.48 m (≈3.97 mi)

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Source: the admissions authority's published figures · how cutoffs work

GCSE results (2024/2025)

195 pupils at the end of key stage 4 in 2024/2025

Attainment 8 score
55.1
England 46.1
Grade 4 or above in English & maths GCSEs
79.5%
England 64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs
59.5%
England 45.4%
EBacc average point score
5
England 4.1

Progress 8 is suspended nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26. These cohorts sat no key stage 2 tests (COVID), so there is no baseline to measure progress from.

A-level results (2024/2025)

A-level points per entry (England: 35 ≈ B-) SUPP

suppressed (small cohort)

Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · what “suppressed” means

Schools with a similar intake

Attainment 8, 2024/2025

This school55.1
Median of its 12 closest peers47.8
West Sussex average46.6
England46.1

On attainment 8, this school is ahead of the schools that teach a comparable intake.

They are matched on intake, not location, so most are not local: see nearby schools for those you could apply to.

SchoolOfstedAttainment 8
Ulverston Victoria High SchoolUlverston · 258 miles awayGood46.8
Catmose CollegeOakham · 129 miles awayOutstanding52.9
Priestlands SchoolLymington · 49 miles awayGood48.8
Abbey Park SchoolSwindon · 81 miles awayGood46.2
Birkenhead High School AcademyPrenton · 210 miles awayGood50.5
St Paul's Catholic CollegeBurgess Hill · 16 miles awayOutstanding55.5
Chipping Norton SchoolChipping Norton · 91 miles awayGood49.3
Queen Elizabeth'sCrediton · 141 miles awayExpected standard46.2
Davison Church of England High School for Girls, WorthingWorthing · 3 miles awayOutstanding52.1
Willingdon Community SchoolEastbourne · 29 miles awayGood45
Sir Bernard Lovell AcademyBristol · 98 miles awayExpected standard44.5
Helston Community CollegeHelston · 218 miles awayGood43.6

It is not a ranking. Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · how the matching works

Pupils by ethnicity (January 2026)

White British 78% (West Sussex 74%, England 59%) · Any other White background 6% (West Sussex 7%, England 7%) · Any other Mixed background 3% (West Sussex 2%, England 3%) · Black African 3% (West Sussex 2%, England 5%) · Asian Indian 2% (West Sussex 2%, England 4%) · Mixed White and Asian 2% (West Sussex 2%, England 2%) · Any other Asian background 2% (West Sussex 2%, England 3%) · Mixed White and Black African 2% (West Sussex 1%, England 1%) · Any other ethnic group 1% (West Sussex 1%, England 3%) · other groups together 2%

Source: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026 census · how to read these figures

Attendance (2025/26 autumn and spring terms)

Sessions missed (overall absence)
5.1%
England 6.6%
Pupils missing 10%+ of sessions (persistent absence)
11.7%
England 17.5%

Suspensions and permanent exclusions (2024/25)

1.12 suspensions per 100 pupils and 0 permanent exclusions · England, secondary schools: 21.24 suspensions and 0.23 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils · West Sussex: 16.16 suspensions and 0.17 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils

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Source: DfE pupil absence data, autumn and spring terms, and DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions, school-level file · how absence is measured · how to read exclusions

Staffing

Pupils per qualified teacher
17
England 18.5

Full-time-equivalent, 2025/26.

Teacher retention (2024/25)

97% of teachers stayed at the school the following year · 2% moved to another state school · 2% left the state-funded sector

Vacancies (November 2025)

1.46% of teaching posts vacant, 0% filled temporarily · England, council-maintained secondaries: 0.22% vacant, 0.42% temporary

Teacher sickness absence (reported in the November 2024 census)

68.2% of teachers took sickness absence, 4.2 days each on average · England, all state-funded schools: 61.8%, 8.1 days

Teacher pay (November 2025)

Mean salary of full-time qualified teachers £56,362; 12.2% on the leadership pay range · England, secondary schools: £53,766, 11.3%

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Source: DfE School Workforce Census · how these figures are counted

Spending per pupil (2025-26)

This school£7,171
Typical secondary school£7,846

Where the money went (2025-26)

Share of spending, with the median for secondary schools in brackets: Staff 77% (77%) · premises 4% (6%) · occupation (energy, rates, cleaning) 3% (7%) · supplies and services 16% (10%) · educational supplies 11% (6%) · bought-in professional services 1% (2%) · catering 1% (3%)

Reserves (2025-26)

Revenue reserve £887,500; in-year balance +£465,232

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Higher spending is not a measure of quality. Source: council-maintained school finance return, 2025-26, DfE · how spending is compared

Where pupils go after GCSEs

In sustained education, work or training
93%
Continuing in education
86%
Apprenticeship
4%
Employment
2%

Destinations measured the year after leaving, DfE destination measures in the 2024/2025 performance tables.

Inspection history since 2015

Source: Ofsted management information · ungraded visits and the two inspection systems

The area around the school

Child poverty (IDACI)
6/10around the middle for England
Overall deprivation (IMD)
8/10less deprived than most of England
Census 2021This areaEngland
Adults with a degree or higher26.1%33.9%
Adults with no qualifications21.3%18.1%
In managerial or professional work37.7%33.2%
Households deprived in two or more ways15.8%18.1%
Residents in very good health39%48.5%
Homes owned by the occupier84.5%62.3%
Social housing2.6%17.1%
Privately rented12.9%20.5%
Detached houses57.8%22.9%
Flats25%22.2%
Homes with four or more bedrooms11.1%21.1%
Households with no car or van19.4%23.5%

These figures describe the area, not the pupils. Source: Census 2021 (ONS) and English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG) for small area E01031802 · how to read area figures

What homes cost nearby

Median sale price
£380,000356 sales within 1 km, January 2024 to September 2026
Typical range
£305,000–£491,000the middle half of sales
England median
£300,000all sales over the same period
Detached (114)£534,000
Semi-detached (109)£370,000
Terraced (57)£320,000
Flat (76)£250,000

Homes around this school are dearer than most school neighbourhoods in England, comparing the median within 1 km across every state school.

Source: HM Land Registry sales within 1 km since January 2024 · how sales are counted. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Postcodes located with OS Code-Point Open: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026; contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026; contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Roads around the school

Child pedestrian casualties
3an urban school averages 2.0
Collisions at school-run times
5an urban school averages 5.7
All reported collisions
15an urban school averages 30.5
Of those, serious or fatal
4an urban school averages 6.1

A high count usually reflects traffic, not an unsafe school. Source: DfT road casualty statistics (STATS19), collisions within 500 m, 2021–2025 · what is counted

Nearby schools