Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High SchoolMarsden Heights Community College
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School and Marsden Heights Community College are secondary schools.
Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School scores 52 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Marsden Heights Community College scores 58 out of 100 (grade C, average). Marsden Heights Community College is ahead on our composite score.
Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School was judged the expected standard and Marsden Heights Community College was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 41.5 for Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School and 41.5 for Marsden Heights Community College.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School (43.8 in 2021-22, 41.5 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Marsden Heights Community College (43.1 in 2021-22, 41.5 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | ColneSs John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School | NelsonMarsden Heights Community College | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D52/100 | C58/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 48th of 82 in Lancashire | 35th of 82 in Lancashire Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Expected | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 812 | 1,047 | |
| Capacity | 900 | 1,050 | |
| Location | Colne, BB8 8JT | Nelson, BB9 0PR | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 41.5 | 41.5 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 41.6% Stronger figure | 41.1% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 61.5% Stronger figure | 57.4% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 161 | 209 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 821 | 1,048 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 32.3% | 33.5% | |
| English as an additional language | 17.9% | 90.2% | |
| SEN support | 10.7% | 17.6% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.3% | 2.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 10.3% | 7.9% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 28.4% | 21.6% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School
Marsden Heights Community College
Full profiles: Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School · Marsden Heights Community College