Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy
- Secondary
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages 11 to 16
- Roman Catholic
URN 148534 · Knowsley · POPE FRANCIS CATHOLIC MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Inspection
Ofsted management information, as at 30 September 2026.
Latest report card inspection
30 June 2026- Inclusion
- Needs attention
- Curriculum and teaching
- Needs attention
- Achievement
- Needs attention
- Attendance and behaviour
- Needs attention
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Needs attention
- Leadership and governance
- Needs attention
- Safeguarding standards
- Met
Full inspection (section 5)
Report cards, used from 10 November 2025, grade each area on a five-point scale and give no overall grade. Safeguarding is met or not met.
Earlier inspection, different framework
Earlier graded inspection
17 April 2024Overall effectiveness
Requires improvement
- Quality of education
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Requires improvement
- Personal development
- Requires improvement
- Leadership and management
- Requires improvement
- Safeguarding is effective
- Yes
First full inspection as an academy
Under the earlier framework, inspections gave an overall effectiveness grade.
Read the reports on Ofsted’s website. Source: Ofsted, State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information.
Attendance
Against Knowsley and England, secondary schools.
Overall absence
2024/2516.2%
- Knowsley
- 11.0%
- England
- 8.4%
7.8 percentage points higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | Not published | 7.2% | 5.5% |
| 2018/19 | Not published | 7.0% | 5.5% |
| 2020/21 | 10.9% | 8.2% | 5.5% |
| 2021/22 | 13.7% | 12.5% | 9.0% |
| 2022/23 | 14.2% | 11.5% | 9.0% |
| 2023/24 | 14.5% | 11.6% | 8.9% |
| 2024/25 | 16.2% | 11.0% | 8.4% |
Sessions missed for any reason, as a share of all possible sessions in the school year. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25.
Persistent absence
2024/2547.8%
- Knowsley
- 32.0%
- England
- 23.4%
24.4 percentage points higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | Not published | 21.0% | 13.9% |
| 2018/19 | Not published | 19.9% | 13.7% |
| 2020/21 | 32.3% | 26.0% | 14.8% |
| 2021/22 | 45.8% | 40.9% | 27.7% |
| 2022/23 | 41.3% | 36.3% | 26.5% |
| 2023/24 | 39.7% | 35.9% | 25.6% |
| 2024/25 | 47.8% | 32.0% | 23.4% |
Pupils who missed 10% or more of their possible sessions, as a share of pupils. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25.
Severe absence
2024/2510.8%
- Knowsley
- 5.4%
- England
- 3.9%
6.9 percentage points higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | Not published | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| 2018/19 | Not published | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| 2020/21 | 4.7% | 2.6% | 1.5% |
| 2021/22 | 4.4% | 4.7% | 2.7% |
| 2022/23 | 7.4% | 4.6% | 3.4% |
| 2023/24 | 8.3% | 5.7% | 3.8% |
| 2024/25 | 10.8% | 5.4% | 3.9% |
Pupils who missed 50% or more of their possible sessions, as a share of pupils. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25.
Suspensions and permanent exclusions
Against Knowsley and England, secondary schools.
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2024/2597.09
- Knowsley
- 28.55
- England
- 21.24
75.85 higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | Not published | 13.70 | 10.13 |
| 2018/19 | Not published | 12.78 | 10.75 |
| 2019/20 | Not published | 11.59 | 7.43 |
| 2020/21 | Not published | 8.32 | 8.48 |
| 2021/22 | 39.42 | 21.96 | 13.96 |
| 2022/23 | 30.07 | 19.94 | 18.90 |
| 2023/24 | 68.14 | 30.23 | 22.61 |
| 2024/25 | 97.09 | 28.55 | 21.24 |
Suspensions in the school year for every 100 pupils on roll. One pupil can be suspended more than once. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, 2024/25.
Permanent exclusions per 100 pupils
2024/250.66
- Knowsley
- 0.40
- England
- 0.23
0.43 higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | Not published | 0.17 | 0.20 |
| 2018/19 | Not published | 0.35 | 0.20 |
| 2019/20 | Not published | 0.16 | 0.13 |
| 2020/21 | Not published | 0.14 | 0.10 |
| 2021/22 | 0.00 | 0.33 | 0.16 |
| 2022/23 | 1.75 | 0.54 | 0.22 |
| 2023/24 | 0.97 | 0.65 | 0.25 |
| 2024/25 | 0.66 | 0.40 | 0.23 |
Permanent exclusions in the school year for every 100 pupils on roll. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, 2024/25.
Key stage 4 results
Against Knowsley and England, secondary schools.
Attainment 8
2025/26 (provisional)32.6
- Knowsley
- 36.5
- England
- 47.4
14.8 lower than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | Not published | 38.2 | 49.8 |
| 2022/23 | Not published | 35.7 | 47.2 |
| 2023/24 | 31.5 | 36.1 | 46.9 |
| 2024/25 | 30.2 | 37.1 | 47.1 |
| 2025/26 (provisional) | 32.6 | 36.5 | 47.4 |
The average of pupils' points across eight GCSE-level qualifications, with English and maths counted twice. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Key stage 4 performance, 2025/26.
English and maths: grade 4 or above
2025/26 (provisional)45%
- Knowsley
- 47%
- England
- 66%
21 percentage points lower than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | Not published | 49% | 70% |
| 2022/23 | Not published | 44% | 67% |
| 2023/24 | 34% | 43% | 67% |
| 2024/25 | 35% | 48% | 66% |
| 2025/26 (provisional) | 45% | 47% | 66% |
Pupils at the end of key stage 4 with grade 4 or above in both English and maths. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Key stage 4 performance, 2025/26.
English and maths: grade 5 or above
2025/26 (provisional)32%
- Knowsley
- 26%
- England
- 48%
16 percentage points lower than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | Not published | 28% | 51% |
| 2022/23 | Not published | 21% | 46% |
| 2023/24 | 17% | 25% | 47% |
| 2024/25 | 11% | 27% | 47% |
| 2025/26 (provisional) | 32% | 26% | 48% |
Pupils at the end of key stage 4 with grade 5 or above in both English and maths. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Key stage 4 performance, 2025/26.
Pupils
Against Knowsley and England, secondary schools.
Eligible for free school meals
2024/2548.0%
- Knowsley
- 51.0%
- England
- 25.8%
22.2 percentage points higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 42.8% | 46.4% | 20.9% |
| 2022/23 | 42.9% | 48.5% | 22.7% |
| 2023/24 | 44.1% | 48.9% | 24.1% |
| 2024/25 | 48.0% | 51.0% | 25.8% |
Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals on census day in January. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
SEN support
2024/2520.3%
- Knowsley
- 17.3%
- England
- 13.4%
6.9 percentage points higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 17.5% | 18.0% | 11.9% |
| 2022/23 | 20.1% | 20.5% | 12.4% |
| 2023/24 | 14.2% | 17.8% | 12.9% |
| 2024/25 | 20.3% | 17.3% | 13.4% |
Pupils receiving special educational needs support without an education, health and care plan. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Education, health and care plan
2024/253.2%
- Knowsley
- 4.0%
- England
- 3.1%
0.1 percentage points higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 1.0% | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| 2022/23 | 1.6% | 2.6% | 2.4% |
| 2023/24 | 2.8% | 3.3% | 2.7% |
| 2024/25 | 3.2% | 4.0% | 3.1% |
Pupils with an education, health and care plan. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
First language other than English
2024/2510.2%
- Knowsley
- 6.9%
- England
- 19.2%
9.0 percentage points lower than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 4.7% | 4.6% | 17.5% |
| 2022/23 | 7.4% | 5.4% | 18.1% |
| 2023/24 | 8.0% | 6.2% | 18.6% |
| 2024/25 | 10.2% | 6.9% | 19.2% |
Pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Teachers
Against Knowsley and England, secondary schools.
Pupils per qualified teacher
2025/2617.8
- Knowsley
- 15.5
- England
- 17.3
0.5 higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | Not published | 15.8 | 16.5 |
| 2018/19 | Not published | 16.1 | 16.8 |
| 2019/20 | Not published | 16.6 | 17.2 |
| 2020/21 | Not published | 16.5 | 17.1 |
| 2021/22 | 17.4 | 15.7 | 17.1 |
| 2022/23 | 21.9 | 16.2 | 17.2 |
| 2023/24 | 23.2 | 16.7 | 17.4 |
| 2024/25 | 22.4 | 16.1 | 17.3 |
| 2025/26 | 17.8 | 15.5 | 17.3 |
Full-time equivalent pupils for each full-time equivalent qualified teacher. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, School workforce in England, 2025/26.
Teacher sickness absence
2024/2512.9 days
- Knowsley
- 7.2 days
- England
- 5.0 days
7.9 days higher than England.
Compared with all state-funded schools: DfE publishes this measure for all schools, not by phase.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Knowsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | Not published | 5.3 days | 4.0 days |
| 2018/19 | Not published | 5.5 days | 4.0 days |
| 2019/20 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 2020/21 | Not published | 4.3 days | 3.9 days |
| 2021/22 | 7.3 days | 7.7 days | 6.3 days |
| 2022/23 | 5.0 days | 6.9 days | 5.2 days |
| 2023/24 | 10.8 days | 8.0 days | 5.3 days |
| 2024/25 | 12.9 days | 7.2 days | 5.0 days |
Days lost to sickness absence in the school year, averaged across all teachers. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, School workforce in England, 2024/25.
Finance
Academies report their accounts as part of their trust, so DfE publishes no school-level balance for this school. The trust’s figures are in DfE’s Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool.
See this school in the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool
About the school
- Pupils on roll
- 730
- Capacity
- 1,050
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Trust
- POPE FRANCIS CATHOLIC MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Opened
- 1 May 2021
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Constituency
- St Helens South and Whiston
- Deprivation of the area (IDACI)
- Decile 2 of 10 (1 is the most deprived tenth of neighbourhoods)
Address: Cumber Lane, Whiston, Prescot, Merseyside, L35 2XG
Website: www.stedmundarrowsmithcatholicacademy.org
Telephone: 01514778770
Sources and corrections
Every figure on this page names its source and period. This release was built on 20 October 2026.
- Department for Education: Get Information about Schools: establishment data (GIAS establishment extract 2026-10-20)
- Ofsted: State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information (Latest inspections as at 2026-09-30; All inspections, 2018/19; All inspections, 2019/20; All inspections, 2020/21; All inspections, 2021/22; All inspections, 2022/23; All inspections, 2023/24; All inspections, 2024/25; All inspections, 2025/26)
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Pupil absence in schools in England (absence-3term-school, 2013/14 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id])
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England (exc-school, 2006/07 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id]; exc-ap-school, 2013/14 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id]; exc-geography, 2006/07 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id]; exc-ap-geography, 2013/14 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id])
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Key stage 2 attainment (ks2-school, 2022/23 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id]; ks2-geography, 2015/16 to 2025/26 [pinned data set id])
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Key stage 4 performance (ks4-school, 2023/24 to 2025/26 [pinned data set id]; ks4-geography, 2018/19 to 2025/26 [pinned data set id])
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Schools, pupils and their characteristics (School census, January 2022 (performance tables, 2021 to 2022); School census, January 2023 (performance tables, 2022 to 2023); School census, January 2024 (performance tables, 2023 to 2024); School census, January 2025 (performance tables, 2024 to 2025))
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: School workforce in England (ptr-school, 2010/11 to 2025/26 [pinned data set id]; ptr-geography, 2010/11 to 2025/26 [pinned data set id]; sickness-school, 2009/10 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id]; sickness-geography, 2009/10 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id])
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: English indices of deprivation 2025: Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (English indices of deprivation 2025, File 7 (2021 LSOAs))
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