St Michael's Church of England High School
Astley Road, Chorley, PR7 1RS
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Rachel Rongong
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Diocese
- Diocese of Blackburn
- Constituency
- Chorley
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,125
- Pupils on roll
- 1,134
- URN
- 136893
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01257264740
About this school
St Michael's Church of England High School is a Church of England secondary academy in Chorley. It teaches children aged 11 to 16 and has 1,134 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected St Michael's Church of England High School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 224 | 225 | 225 |
| Attainment 8 score | 57.9 | 59.7 | 58.9 |
| Progress 8 score | +0.49 +0.31 to +0.68 | +0.56 +0.38 to +0.75 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 75% | 78.2% | 72% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 91% | 92.4% | 91.1% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 50% | 48% | 44.4% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How St Michael's Church of England High School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Lancashire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 57.9 | 38.1 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 59.7 | 37.6 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 58.9 | 37 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.8% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,137 |
| 2023/24 | 1,139 |
| 2024/25 | 1,133 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St Michael's Church of England High School compares
St Michael's Church of England High School ranked 7th of 81 secondary schools in Lancashire for Attainment 8 in 2024/25. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 92% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 83% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 58.9 | 4.1% | 3.4% | 1,134 | — |
| Parklands High School | 44.4 | 6.7% | 28.5% | 1,102 | 0.5 miles |
| Albany Academy | 43.7 | 8.9% | 29.5% | 725 | 1.4 miles |
| Southlands High School | 42.1 | 9.9% | 28.6% | 821 | 1.4 miles |
| Holy Cross Catholic High School | 55 | 7% | 13% | 976 | 1.6 miles |
| Balshaw's Church of England High School | 52.3 | 5.1% | 13.6% | 921 | 2.8 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 3.35%
- English as an additional language
- 0.8%
- Overall absence
- 4.08%
- Persistent absence
- 7.18%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Parklands High School0.5 miles
Secondary · Chorley
-
Albany Academy1.4 miles
Secondary · Chorley
-
Southlands High School1.4 miles
Secondary · Chorley
-
Holy Cross Catholic High School1.6 miles
Secondary · Chorley
-
Balshaw's Church of England High School2.8 miles
Secondary · Leyland
Other schools in Chorley
St Michael's Church of England High School ranks 1st of the 5 ranked secondary schools in Chorley.
- Albany Academy Secondary
- Holy Cross Catholic High School Secondary
- Parklands High School Secondary
- Southlands High School Secondary
- Duke Street Nursery School Nursery
- Highfield Nursery School Nursery
- Abbey Village Primary School Primary
- Adlington Primary School Primary
- Adlington St Paul's Church of England Primary School Primary
- Balshaw Lane Community Primary School Primary
- Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Primary
- Brinscall St John's CofE and Methodist Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does St Michael's Church of England High School teach?
- St Michael's Church of England High School teaches children aged 11 to 16. It is a secondary school in Chorley.
- Who is the headteacher of St Michael's Church of England High School?
- The headteacher of St Michael's Church of England High School is Mrs Rachel Rongong, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has St Michael's Church of England High School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St Michael's Church of England High School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at St Michael's Church of England High School?
- St Michael's Church of England High School has 1,134 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 16.
- Is St Michael's Church of England High School full?
- St Michael's Church of England High School has capacity for 1,125 pupils and 1,134 on roll (101%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Michael's Church of England High School a faith school?
- Yes. St Michael's Church of England High School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Blackburn.
- Is St Michael's Church of England High School a selective school?
- No. St Michael's Church of England High School is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Is St Michael's Church of England High School part of an academy trust?
- St Michael's Church of England High School is part of ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have St Michael's Church of England High School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 57.9 in 2022/23 and 58.9 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does St Michael's Church of England High School compare with other schools in Lancashire?
- St Michael's Church of England High School ranked 7th of 81 secondary schools in Lancashire for Attainment 8. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 92% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 83% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is St Michael's Church of England High School's absence rate?
- St Michael's Church of England High School's overall absence rate is 4.1% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are St Michael's Church of England High School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St Michael's Church of England High School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 1 July 2026.