St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy is a mainstream secondary school in Richmond, North Yorkshire, for children and young people aged 11 to 16. In January 2026, 52 of its 611 pupils (8.5%) were getting SEN support and 24 (3.9%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–16
- 611 pupils
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in North Yorkshire.
8.5% get SEN support
52 of 611 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
Lower than the England average.
3.9% have an EHC plan
24 of 611 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
About the same as the England average.
Most common needs
- Autism23
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia15
- Social, emotional and mental health9
- Moderate learning difficulty9
- Speech, language and communication6
- Physical disability5
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 611 (places for 570)
- Headteacher
- Headteacher J Prime
- Part of
- Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust
- Faith
- Roman Catholic/Church of England
- Free school meals
- 11.3% of pupils eligible
- Council
- North Yorkshire
- School reference (URN)
- 147213
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask North Yorkshire council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Graded by area, November 2024
Inspected in November 2024. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Darlington Road, Richmond, DL10 7DA
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Richmond School & Sixth Form College Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.2 miles
- Cambrai Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 2.5 miles
- Clervaux Garden School Independent · Ages 10–19 · Ofsted: Good 7.6 miles
- Embleton View Independent · Ages 5–18 · Ofsted report card (2026) 9.0 miles
Other mainstream schools
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy Primary · Ages 2–11 · SEN support 17.3%, EHC plans 2.8% 0.1 miles
- Richmond Methodist Primary School Primary · Ages 2–11 · SEN support 11.2%, EHC plans 2.3% 0.1 miles
- Trinity Academy Richmond Primary · Ages 2–11 · SEN support 21.6%, EHC plans 4.3% 0.5 miles
All mainstream schools in North Yorkshire SEND schools in North Yorkshire
Questions about St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy
How many pupils at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 52 of the 611 pupils (8.5%) were getting SEN support and 24 (3.9%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are autism (23 pupils), dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (15 pupils) and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (9 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
Through North Yorkshire council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
You can ask for St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Richmond School & Sixth Form College, about 0.2 miles away.
Where is St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy?
Darlington Road, Richmond, DL10 7DA, in North Yorkshire.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.