Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School

About Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School

Rothwell St Mary's RC Primary School is a state-funded Roman Catholic primary in Leeds, and it is effectively full. With 210 pupils on roll against a capacity of 211, the school is operating at near-maximum occupancy. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 6.7%, which is notably low compared with the national average for primary schools. This suggests a relatively affluent intake, and the school's popularity is confirmed by its admission data: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 106 applications for just 26 places, an oversubscription ratio of 4.08 to one. All 25 first-preference applicants were offered a place, but the sheer volume of total applications means many families will be disappointed. The school's religious character as a Roman Catholic institution is likely a key factor in its admissions criteria, and parents should be aware that places are typically prioritised for practising Catholic families within the parish.

Academically, Rothwell St Mary's is a high-performing school. In its most recent Ofsted inspection, conducted in March 2024, it received the top grade of Outstanding across every category: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a clean sweep of Grade 1 ratings, and the school has held an Outstanding rating since at least its previous inspection in 2013. At Key Stage 2, 76% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the Leeds local authority average of 61%. The school also performs strongly at the higher standard, with 10% of pupils achieving that level across all three subjects. Average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 106 in maths, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. These results place Rothwell St Mary's 35th out of 204 primary schools in Leeds, putting it in the top 25% of schools in the local authority.

The school offers a solid range of facilities, including a library, playing fields, a sports hall, an outdoor playground, a forest school area, an ICT suite, art studios and a chapel. Sports provision covers athletics, football, cross country, cricket, netball and tennis, while extracurricular clubs include coding, gardening, choir and drama. The school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disabilities, and other difficulties. This suggests a school that is equipped to support a range of additional needs, though the low FSM percentage indicates the cohort is not especially diverse socioeconomically. Rothwell St Mary's is best suited to Catholic families living within the parish catchment who prioritise strong academic outcomes and a faith-based environment. Given the intense competition for places, early application and church attendance are likely essential.

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