The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic SchoolBarclay Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Stevenage.
Summary of the comparison
The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School and Barclay Academy are secondary schools in Stevenage.
The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School scores 71 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Barclay Academy scores 61 out of 100 (grade C, average). The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School is ahead on our composite score.
The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School was judged Good and Barclay Academy was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 55.7 for The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School and 48.0 for Barclay Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School (59.9 in 2021-22, 55.7 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Barclay Academy (52.5 in 2021-22, 48.0 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | StevenageThe Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School | StevenageBarclay Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B71/100Stronger figure | C61/100 | |
| Local ranking | 27th of 81 in Hertfordshire Stronger figure | 45th of 81 in Hertfordshire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,620 | 1,044 | |
| Capacity | 1,405 | 1,181 | |
| Location | Stevenage, SG1 4AE | Stevenage, SG1 3RB | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 55.7 Stronger figure | 48.0 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 59.8% Stronger figure | 48.5% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 75.2% Stronger figure | 71.9% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 234 | 171 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 184 | 55 | |
| A-level average points | 37.1 Stronger figure | 34.3 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | B- | C+ | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 37.1 Stronger figure | 34.1 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 15.2% Stronger figure | 13.3% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,605 | 992 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 10.3% | 26.0% | |
| English as an additional language | 26.4% | 14.7% | |
| SEN support | 11.1% | 15.4% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.2% | 3.1% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 5.5% Stronger figure | 8.6% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 12.8% Stronger figure | 23.1% | 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
A-level average points
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.
The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School
Barclay Academy
Full profiles: The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School · Barclay Academy