Holy Cross Primary Catholic Voluntary Academy

About Holy Cross Primary Catholic Voluntary Academy

Holy Cross Primary Catholic Voluntary Academy in Ashfield was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a rating it has held across both its graded inspections. The school’s strongest academic metric is its Key Stage 2 reading average score of 105, which sits above the national benchmark of 100. In reading, 70% of pupils met the expected standard and 30% reached the higher standard — a notably strong result for a primary school of this size. In maths, the average score was 102, with 70% achieving the expected standard and 10% reaching the higher level. Writing saw 80% of pupils meet the expected standard and 7% hit the higher mark. When combining reading, writing and maths, 63% of pupils reached the expected standard in all three, just above the Nottinghamshire local authority average of 61%. This places the school 14th out of 30 primary schools in Ashfield, and in the top half nationally.

The school’s Ofsted report from May 2023 awarded Good across all five categories: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The early years provision was also rated Good. With 239 pupils on roll against a capacity of 230, the school is slightly oversubscribed, and this is reflected in its admissions data for 2025/26: there were 64 applications for 30 places, with 28 of those going to first-preference families. The oversubscription ratio of 2.13 means competition for places is real, but not extreme. The school serves a relatively low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 8.8%, and its Roman Catholic character is a key part of its identity, with a chapel on site. There is nursery provision for children from age three.

Facilities include art studios, a dining hall, library, playing fields and a chapel. Sports on offer are tennis, cricket, netball, gymnastics, rounders, dance and cross country, and there is a range of clubs including science club, drama, choir, film club and chess. The school’s SEND provisions cover social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder, making it a potentially good fit for families whose children need support in these areas. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary school is Hucknall Flying High Academy, 3.4 km away. Holy Cross is a solid, well-regarded local option for families who value its Catholic ethos, strong reading outcomes and broad extracurricular offer, particularly those who can secure a place in a slightly oversubscribed school.

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