St Joseph's Catholic College, the Swindon secondary school, received the highest possible grade, Grade 1 (Outstanding), overall and in every category of its latest Catholic Schools Inspectorate inspection, Swindon24 reported on Sunday 19 July 2026. The two-day inspection took place in April.
What did inspectors say?
- Outstanding for Catholic life and mission, religious education and collective worship.
- The school was fully compliant with the requirements of the Bishops' Conference.
- It had addressed all the recommendations from its previous inspection, when it was rated Good.
- Inspectors described a "profound sense of community" and called the school "a special place to work".
- In religious education, pupils achieve results above the national average at Key Stage 4.
- Pupils respond "extremely positively to the call to service" through chaplaincy, charitable work and leadership roles, and pupils of all backgrounds and faiths feel welcomed.
Principal Jerry Giles said he was "absolutely delighted" with the result and credited staff, students and the school's faith community.
Jessica Higgins, Chair of Governors, said the judgement was a testament to the shared commitment of leaders, staff, students and the wider community, and that governors would keep supporting the school to build on it.
Source: Swindon24.