Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

About Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy, is a small Roman Catholic primary in Warrington, serving just 159 pupils against a capacity of 188. Within the local authority's 69 primary schools, it sits among a competitive field: the top-ranked peers include Bruche Primary School Academy, Stretton St Matthew's CofE Primary School, and Chapelford Village Primary School. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Grappenhall Heys Community Primary School, 2.3 kilometres away. Warrington itself has only six primaries with that top grade, so a Good rating — which Our Lady's has held consistently across its two most recent inspections — puts it in solid company. Headteacher David Gilby leads a school where just over a quarter of pupils (28.9%) are eligible for free school meals, a figure that gives some indication of the community it serves.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in February 2022, the school received a Good rating across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This was a repeat of its previous Good judgement from 2015, when leadership and management and overall effectiveness were also rated 2 (Good), though early years provision at that time was graded as Requires Improvement. The consistency suggests stable leadership and teaching. On academic outcomes, the local authority average for Key Stage 2 attainment sits at 69, which provides a useful benchmark, though the school's own published results are not included in this data. Parents considering the school will want to check the most recent SATs performance directly, but the Ofsted record points to a school that delivers a reliable standard of education.

The school offers a practical range of facilities including a library, art studios, a sensory room, and a chapel, reflecting its Catholic character. Sports provision is broad for a school of this size, with swimming, netball, cricket, football, gymnastics, rounders, and cross country all on offer. Clubs include eco club, drama, and choir. The school is well equipped for SEND support, listing provisions for specific learning difficulties (including dyslexia), moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Admission data for 2025/26 shows the school is oversubscribed: 22 applications for 11 places, with exactly half of those applicants naming it as their first preference. This level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, and families with a Catholic preference or a child with identified SEND needs may find it a particularly good fit.

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