St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy
Academy converter secondary school in Dewsbury (Kirklees).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
Welcome to St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy Our School is first and foremost a Catholic school. At St John Fisher, our mission is simple yet profound: to serve . We place Christ at the centre of all we do and keep children at the heart of our community.
Inspired by the love of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ, we integrate Gospel values into every aspect of school life. Guided by our patron, St John Fisher, we nurture a faith-filled environment where every child grows spiritually, morally, and academically.
Our six core virtues Faith, Service, Forgiveness, Honesty, Courage, and Respect shape daily life and help our students flourish. As St John Fisher reminds us: A good man is not a perfect man; a good man is an honest man, faithful and unhesitatingly responsive to the voice of God in his life.
This is an exciting time for our school as we continue a journey of rapid improvement, introducing new opportunities and innovative approaches to ensure every student thrives.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
9 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Book Club
- Drama
- Minecraft
- Photography
- Robotics
- Stem
- Textiles
- Seneca Learning
- Times Tables Rock Stars
Awards
1 awardiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Anti-Bullying CharterRecognised award
Key facts
- URN
- 141470
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Sixth form
- Has a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Kirklees
- Constituency
- Dewsbury and Batley
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2014
Governing body (8 current, 3 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Cathy Baxendale | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miss Paige Farrington | Local Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr John Higgins | Local Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Julia Sharkey | Local Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Rachel McEvoy | Local Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr Karl Mackey | Local Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2023 |
| Mr James Creegan | Local Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2022 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Helen Sutcliffe | Local Governor | Elected by parents | since 2022 · until 2029 |
| Ms Clare Naughton Former | Local Governor | Elected by parents | since 2026 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Esther Moriarty Former | Local Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2021 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Stephen Sykes Former | Local Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2021 · term ended 2025 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record