English Martyrs Catholic Primary School

About English Martyrs Catholic Primary School

English Martyrs Catholic Primary School in Rugby is a state primary for children aged 4 to 11, with a Roman Catholic character and a current roll of 190 pupils against a capacity of 210. That leaves some physical headroom, but demand tells a different story: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 38 applications for just 9 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.22 to one. Only 8 first-preference offers were made, so securing a place is competitive. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 12.1 per cent, which is below the national average for primary schools and suggests a relatively less deprived intake than many schools nationally. The school is led by headteacher Rebekah Jones and was inspected by Ofsted in June 2025, receiving a Good rating across all graded categories including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Academically, the picture is mixed. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in maths, and 82 per cent did so in reading. However, no pupils met the expected standard in the combined reading, writing and maths measure, which is unusual and likely reflects a specific issue with writing outcomes. The school’s average scaled scores were 104 in maths and 107 in reading, both above the national benchmark of 100. At the higher standard, 21 per cent achieved it in maths and 48 per cent in reading. Despite these individual strengths, the school ranks 159th out of 196 primary schools in Warwickshire on the combined expected standard metric, placing it in the bottom 50 per cent nationally. The local authority average for the combined expected standard is 62 per cent, which the school did not meet. Parents responding to the Ofsted Parent View survey were largely positive: 83 per cent agreed or strongly agreed their child is happy, and 84 per cent felt their child is safe.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sensory room, ICT suite, playing fields, art studios, music rooms, a forest school and a chapel. Sports provision covers cross country, rounders, athletics, netball, swimming and cricket, while clubs include art, gardening, science and eco club. The school’s SEND register is broad, with support listed for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. However, the Parent View data shows that 26 per cent of respondents strongly disagreed that SEND children receive the support they need, which is a notable concern. With 77 per cent of parents saying they would recommend the school, English Martyrs is likely to suit families who prioritise a faith-based primary with strong reading and maths outcomes, but who are aware that writing results and SEND satisfaction may need closer investigation. The nearest outstanding-rated school is Hillmorton Primary School, 0.7 km away.

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