Aldercar High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 648 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 33.9
Academy converter
St Mary's Catholic High School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,400of 1,260 places
- Free school meals
- 18.8%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 206
- Ofsted
- Outstanding, 26 June 2024Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Mary's Catholic High School (URN 112998, until 1 August 2012).
What the data says
Of the 207 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Mary's Catholic High School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2023, 64% stayed on in St Mary's Catholic High School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy’s own sixth form (Derbyshire average 34%), 27% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 170 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 61% went to university (Derbyshire 42%, England 37%), and 40% 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 59.4 against 46.1 across England and 45.0 in Derbyshire, with 73% 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 Derbyshire and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 207 | 7,796 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 97% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 92% | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 64% | 34% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 5% | 13% |
| — further education college | 27% | 41% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 5% | 3% |
| Employment | 1% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 2% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | — | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 170 | 3,774 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 90% | 85% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 61% | 42% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 40% | 21% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 10% | 11% | 7% |
| Employment | 16% | 27% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 9% | 11% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 59.4 | 45.0 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 73% | 43% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 85% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 52% | 30% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 5.39 | 3.92 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 15% | 28% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 52.2 | 34.0 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 60.6 | 49.2 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 9% | 4% | 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.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 204 | 99% | 88% | 42% | 22% | 89% |
| English Language | 204 | 99% | 89% | 28% | 20% | 89% |
| English Literature | 201 | 98% | 86% | 27% | 21% | 88% |
| Religious Studies | 200 | 97% | 31% | 52% | 32% | 89% |
| Combined Science | 133 | 65% | 65% | 13% | 9% | 82% |
| Geography | 127 | 62% | 41% | 39% | 25% | 86% |
| History | 72 | 35% | 41% | 56% | 26% | 92% |
| Physics | 70 | 34% | 23% | 66% | 46% | 100% |
| Biology | 70 | 34% | 23% | 49% | 45% | 100% |
| Chemistry | 70 | 34% | 23% | 64% | 47% | 100% |
| Fine Art | 53 | 26% | 9% | 36% | 28% | 94% |
| Spanish | 48 | 23% | 19% | 50% | 27% | 96% |
| Physical Education | 41 | 20% | 11% | 32% | 24% | 90% |
| German | 38 | 18% | 5% | 58% | 33% | 100% |
| Drama | 24 | 12% | 7% | 79% | 27% | 100% |
| Computer Science | 24 | 12% | 13% | 29% | 30% | 96% |
| French | 20 | 10% | 18% | 35% | 29% | 95% |
| Design and Technology | 19 | 9% | 11% | 26% | 23% | 74% |
| Music | 12 | 6% | 5% | 33% | 33% | 83% |
| Polish | 11 | 5% | 1% | 100% | 84% | 100% |
| Chinese | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 39 | 24% | — |
| Engineering Studies | 39 | 24% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 25 | 16% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 17 | 11% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 323 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 161 | 2,363 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 39.51 | 32.99 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 24% | 16% | 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.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 60 | 37% | 31% |
| Chemistry | 52 | 32% | 17% |
| Biology | 50 | 31% | 20% |
| Psychology | 36 | 22% | 23% |
| Geography | 30 | 19% | 10% |
| Physics | 30 | 19% | 12% |
| Sociology | 27 | 17% | 13% |
| English Language | 18 | 11% | 4% |
| Religious Studies | 17 | 11% | 4% |
| Further Mathematics | 17 | 11% | 5% |
| Law | 13 | 8% | 4% |
| Fine Art | 12 | 7% | 3% |
| Product Design | 11 | 7% | 2% |
| Physical Education | 11 | 7% | 3% |
| German | 10 | 6% | 0% |
| Economics | 10 | 6% | 13% |
| Computer Science | 9 | 6% | 5% |
| English Literature | 9 | 6% | 11% |
| History | 7 | 4% | 13% |
| Drama | 6 | 4% | 2% |
| Spanish | 6 | 4% | 2% |
| Politics | — | — | 6% |
| Chinese | — | — | 0% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 18 | 11% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 9 | 6% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 4% | — |
| Spanish | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Spanish | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Derbyshire
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Brookfield Community School
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Buxton Community School
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Chapel-en-le-Frith High School
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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.