Academy converter

The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School

Mixed · ages 11–18 · with sixth form · Roman CatholicHertfordshire, East of England · Stevenage SG1 4AETrust: The Diocese of Westminster Academy TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,620of 1,405 places
Free school meals
10.0%
Year 11 cohort 2025
239
Ofsted
School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next, 17 July 2024Read the Ofsted report

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: The John Henry Newman Catholic School (URN 117585, until 1 March 2012).

What the data says

Of the 245 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School in 2023, 73% stayed on in The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School’s own sixth form (Hertfordshire average 58%), 13% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.

Among the 205 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 63% went to university (Hertfordshire 42%, England 37%), and 35% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.

GCSE results in 2025 were well above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 57.9 against 46.1 across England and 50.6 in Hertfordshire, with 64% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).

Religious Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 97% of the year group took it, against 31% of pupils across England.

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Hertfordshire and England.

This school
Hertfordshire
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Pupils in the cohort24514,400607,348
Any sustained destination98%95%92%
Stayed in education94%92%86%
— school sixth form73%58%34%
— sixth form college6%2%13%
— further education college13%31%37%
— other education1%1%2%
Apprenticeship2%2%3%
Employment1%2%3%
No sustained destination2%3%6%
Destination unknown1%2%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

This school
Hertfordshire
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Students in the cohort20514,189541,441
Any sustained destination94%82%79%
University (higher education)63%42%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students35%24%19%
Further education1%5%5%
Apprenticeship5%6%7%
Employment23%28%28%
No sustained destination3%13%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)57.950.646.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths64%53%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths84%72%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects38%47%41%
EBacc average point score5.124.564.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort9%18%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils38.334.234.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils59.854.150.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language22%16%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
English Language23699%89%31%20%92%
Mathematics23598%88%34%22%86%
English Literature23598%86%28%21%93%
Religious Studies23297%31%38%32%85%
Combined Science13958%65%11%9%75%
Geography12050%41%29%25%84%
History10243%41%40%26%89%
Biology9439%23%51%45%100%
Physics9439%23%65%46%100%
Chemistry9439%23%60%47%100%
Business Studies7632%18%24%20%87%
Spanish5623%19%57%27%95%
Computer Science5021%13%52%30%98%
French4720%18%47%29%91%
Music4017%5%50%33%95%
Physical Education4017%11%18%24%88%
Art and Design2611%7%19%24%96%
Drama2510%7%4%27%80%
Citizenship Studies2310%3%22%19%96%
Design and Technology2310%11%22%23%83%
Statistics167%5%50%20%100%
Dance104%1%30%27%90%
Polish63%1%100%84%100%
Photography63%6%33%19%67%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Sports / Movement Science179%
Childcare Skills158%
Hospitality / Catering Studies158%
Music performance: Group21%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study399
— of whom A level students1848,082261,341
Average A level gradeB-B-B-
Average points per A level entry37.0836.8235.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsB-B-B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects15%19%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Psychology6133%23%
Mathematics5329%31%
Biology4625%20%
Sociology3418%13%
Business Studies3318%13%
History3217%13%
Chemistry2916%17%
Physics2715%12%
Computer Science2614%5%
Economics2614%13%
Geography2212%10%
English Language and Literature137%2%
Art and Design116%1%
Drama116%2%
English Literature105%11%
Politics84%6%
Film Studies74%2%
Further Mathematics74%5%
Religious Studies63%4%
Photography63%3%
Polish0%
Physical Education3%
Music0%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Health StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 3116%
MathematicsGCE AS level (All)116%
Sports StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*105%
Music Technology (Electronic)BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*105%
Mathematical StudiesCore Maths Qualifications at Level 395%
Applied SciencesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*95%
Business StudiesGCE AS level (All)95%
ChemistryGCE AS level (All)74%
Music performance: GroupBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*74%
BiologyGCE AS level (All)
Applied SciencesBTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D*
Health StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3
Computer ScienceGCE AS level (All)
EconomicsGCE AS level (All)
PhysicsGCE AS level (All)
PsychologyGCE AS level (All)
SociologyGCE AS level (All)
BiologyGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Business StudiesGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
ChemistryGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Computer ScienceGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
EconomicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
MathematicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
PhysicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
SociologyGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Business StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3

Other secondary schools in Hertfordshire

Ashlyns School

Foundation school · sixth form · 1,561 pupils

94% stayed in education · Attainment 8 57.9

Barclay Academy

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,044 pupils

91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.5

Barnwell School

Foundation school · sixth form · 1,270 pupils

88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.5

Beaumont School

Academy converter · sixth form · 1,722 pupils

98% stayed in education · Attainment 8 62.6

Birchwood High School

Academy converter · sixth form · 1,417 pupils

85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.1

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.