St Mary's Catholic High School

What St Mary's Catholic High School does

St Mary's Catholic High School is a state-funded Catholic secondary school and sixth form located in Upper Newbold, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, serving students aged 11-18 across Years 7-13. It operates as St Mary's Catholic High School Academy Trust, an exempt charity and company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, and is governed by a board including Foundation Governors appointed by the Diocese of Hallam and the Bishop of Hallam as a Member of the Academy Trust. The school does not charge tuition fees and is funded primarily through UK government per-pupil funding channelled via the local authority.

Its educational offering centres on the Inauro personal development programme, recognised by Ofsted as a unique first-class provision, supplemented by a specialist-subject curriculum, dedicated Sixth Form facilities, the Inauro Lab for independent scholarly study, weekly Insight Lectures, the Society of Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary for competitive university applicants, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Supporting services include a Quality in Careers Award-recognised Careers Programme, SEND provision, an extensive pastoral and safeguarding system including a partnership with Compass Changing Lives for in-school mental health, and a Faith in Action charity programme with Ashgate Hospice as the whole-school partner.

The technology stack is standard consumer web tooling rather than proprietary: a school CMS website, SchoolCloud for parent engagement and parents' evenings, ParentPay for payments, My Child At School (MCAS) for the parent portal, and Google Analytics for visitor tracking. Communication and admissions are run directly through the school and Derbyshire County Council via open evenings, newsletters, and an active Old Marians alumni network. The school is not backed by private equity or venture capital, is not publicly traded, and operates as a single-site institution.

Name

St Mary's Catholic High School

Legal name

St Mary's Catholic High School Academy Trust

Website

https://st-maryshigh.derbyshire.sch.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St Mary's Catholic High School is a state-funded Catholic academy secondary school and sixth form in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, serving students aged 11-18. It delivers Ofsted-rated Outstanding education through its Inauro personal development programme, specialist sixth form provision, and extensive pastoral and careers services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• Catholic schooling
• Sixth form provision
• Pastoral care services
• Careers guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Chesterfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

St Mary's Catholic High School is a state-funded Catholic secondary school and sixth form (academy trust) in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, delivering education to students aged 11-18 across Years 7-13. The school's core offering is a faith-based academic and personal development education, built around its distinctive Inauro programme, with GCSEs, A Levels, SEND provision, careers guidance, pastoral care, safeguarding, and enrichment (Duke of Edinburgh, Faith in Action, leadership).

Product overview

St Mary's Catholic High School is an outstanding secondary school and sixth form offering a comprehensive educational programme for students aged 11-18. The school operates a unified educational model centred around its distinctive Inauro Programme for holistic personal development, supplemented by specialised sixth form provisions including Inauro Lab, Insight Lectures, and the Society of Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary. The school provides digital services through SchoolCloud (parent engagement), My Child At School (MCAS parent portal), and ParentPay (payments). Additional offerings include the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Faith in Action volunteering programme, Student Leadership opportunities, a dedicated Careers Programme with Quality in Careers Award, comprehensive SEND Provision, and an extensive Pastoral Care and Safeguarding system. The Old Marians alumni network connects former students across various professional fields. Communication with parents is maintained through weekly Parent Newsletters and regular termly safeguarding newsletters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inauro Programme A comprehensive holistic education programme focusing on personal development, pastoral care, and character building, recognised by Ofsted as a unique first-class aspect of the school's provision for pupils aged 11-18.
• Sixth Form Provision Post-16 education offering A Levels and holistic development with a dedicated Sixth Form centre, exclusive catering facilities and study spaces, integrating Inauro Lab, Insight Lectures and the Society of Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary.
• Duke of Edinburgh Award Award scheme offering Bronze, Silver and Gold levels for personal development through voluntary service, physical fitness, skills and expeditions, available to students as part of the school's enrichment provision.
• Faith in Action Programme Programme encouraging students to model themselves on inspirational figures and engage in charitable action, supporting partner charities including whole-school charity partner Ashgate Hospice.
• Student Leadership Programme Sixth Form student leadership scheme offering roles such as Sports Captains, Reach Ambassadors, Faith in Action Team, subject support mentors, Buddy Readers, School Parliament and Head Girl/Head Boy positions.
• Careers Programme Comprehensive careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) programme, recognised with the Quality in Careers Award, supporting students' university and non-university pathways.
• SEND Provision Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provision with an uncompromising commitment to supporting pupils with SEND while promoting independence and self-confidence across the school and sixth form.
• Pastoral Care System Comprehensive pastoral system ensuring warm and trusting relationships underpinned by a strong and inclusive ethos of care alongside high expectations, supporting student wellbeing across the school.
• Safeguarding Services Safeguarding provision including Designated Safeguarding Leads, mental health support, online safety, anti-bullying and partnerships with external agencies such as Compass Changing Lives.
• Old Marians Alumni Network Alumni network connecting former students, with profiles of graduates working in careers such as the Foreign Office, Apple, Cyber Security, Midwifery and Financial Services.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ashgate HospicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhole-school charity partner. Sixth Form students support the hospice through various fundraising initiatives and community service as part of the Faith in Action programme. The partnership provides students with opportunities for community engagement and developing charitable values.
• Diocese of HallamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Diocese of Hallam appoints Foundation Governors to the school governing board, including the Chair of Governors. The Bishop of Hallam is a member of the Academy Trust. The partnership ensures the school's Catholic identity and religious formation align with diocesan expectations.
• Compass Changing LivesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health support service partnership providing in-school mental health services for students as part of the safeguarding and pastoral care provision.
• Derbyshire County CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partnership for education provision, safeguarding coordination, and bus transportation services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• St Bede's Catholic High School: A Catholic voluntary academy secondary school in the north of England. Directly comparable as a diocesan Catholic 11–18 school with sixth form, similar ethos-driven pastoral model and comparable curriculum enrichment offerings.
• Notre Dame High School (Sheffield): Catholic secondary school in neighbouring South Yorkshire under a similar diocesan structure. Directly comparable geographic and demographic context, Catholic ethos, and sixth-form provision.
• All Hallows Catholic High School: Catholic voluntary academy secondary school serving ages 11–16. Comparable as a faith-based diocesan comprehensive with a parallel focus on personal development, pastoral care, and university preparation.
• Loreto College: Catholic sixth-form college. Comparable to St Mary's sixth form in offering specialist medical/dentistry pathways, broader A-level curriculum, and holistic personal development within a Catholic ethos.
• St Joseph's College, Stoke-on-Trent: Catholic secondary school and sixth form in a comparable Midlands demographic. Comparable in faith-based identity, specialist teaching approach, and university preparation focus.
• Cardinal Newman Catholic High School: Catholic secondary school with strong academic and pastoral reputation. Comparable in mission, faith-based character formation, and the breadth of enrichment provision beyond core academics.
• St Ambrose College: Catholic sixth-form college in the North West. Comparable as a Catholic post-16 provider with similar specialist pathway support, careers guidance, and personal development focus to St Mary's sixth form.

Regional players

• Tupton Hall School: Secondary school serving the wider Chesterfield area. Comparable as a same-region competitor in the Derbyshire state secondary market with overlapping admissions catchment.
• Outwood Academy Newbold: Local secondary school in the same Chesterfield/Newbold area. Comparable as a direct competitor for the same catchment of families, though non-faith and part of a different academy chain.
• Brookfield Community School: Local secondary school in Chesterfield serving a similar catchment. Comparable as a same-geography competitor for student enrolment, though secular and structurally distinct.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/stmaryschesterfield
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-mary's-catholic-high-school

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St Mary's Catholic High School