Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College

Since September 2017, Greg McClarey BSc MEd PGCE, who joined the school in 1997 as a science teacher, later becoming head of year, assistant head and deputy head prior to becoming Blessed’s fourth headteacher. Before that, he was at Aylestone High

Academically non-selective, admitting 210 children into year 7 from over 25 primary schools. Priority goes to baptised Catholic children at one of the five feeder Catholic primary schools in Worcester, Droitwich and Pershore – who make up around h

Majority of year 11 pupils move to Worcester Sixth Form College, others to eg Christopher Whitehead Language College, Heart of Worcestershire College, Prince Henry’s in Evesham, King Edward VI College in Stourbridge and Hereford Sixth Form College

In 2024, 24 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 78 per cent 9-5 in both English and maths at GCSE.

MFL is a strength, with French, German or Spanish taught from years 7 to 9 (and able linguists have the option to study a second language through after-school lessons). We popped in to a lively lesson where students were filling in Spanish lyrics

We love their ‘Think Barriers’ approach, which gets staff doing just that – spotting any potential barriers to students with SEND. Outcomes can be as simple as clutter-free classrooms, all PowerPoints having pastel backgrounds to reduce glare and

Art, design and tech are exceptional, with fine art, graphics, photography, 3D design, systems and control, food tech and textiles all available at GCSE. The dedicated classrooms seem endless, where we saw everything from whirring sewing machines

Football, netball, hockey and athletics are the mainstays (all on rotation so you’re not stuck with a whole term of a sport you might hate), with handball and volleyball also featuring among the 12 sports on offer. Inclusive too, with 41 teams acr

Known locally for its warm and welcoming feel that parents liken to ‘an extended family’. ‘I begged my parents to come here after a taster day – it felt much more friendly than others we visited,’ said a student. Parents told us that ‘quieter, mor

A clear mobile phone policy is a really important part of modern schooling. This school has provided us with their policy.

The first student we met told us he’d checked out the Good Schools Guide website the night before – instant brownie points for him! Others we met made a point of coming up to us if they saw us again later. ‘How’s your day?’ ‘Are you enjoying it?’

A hardworking and community-driven school that parents say ‘exceeded our expectations’. Stands out for its Catholic ethos, pastoral care and dedicated, longstanding staff. ‘I’ve lost count of how often I’ve recommended it,’ said one parent.