St Benedict's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy

About St Benedict's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy

St Benedict's Catholic Primary School is a small, oversubscribed state primary in North Yorkshire that clearly appeals to local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 17 applications for just 13 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.31, and all 13 first-preference applicants were offered a spot. While the school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage, the fact that it is oversubscribed with every first-preference family securing a place suggests a steady local demand. The school has a nursery provision for children aged three and above, and its Roman Catholic character is reflected in the on-site chapel. Headteacher Gerard Eddy leads a small community of 91 pupils, well within the school's capacity of 105, meaning class sizes are likely to be modest. The school also reports a relatively low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 7.4 per cent.

Academically, St Benedict's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 confirmed it remains a Good school, a notable improvement from its previous 2017 inspection when it was rated Requires Improvement. In the 2019 graded inspection, leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness were all judged Good. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 60 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which matches the North Yorkshire local authority average of 60 per cent. However, the school's performance in the higher standard is more mixed: just 10 per cent achieved the higher standard in all three subjects, while 40 per cent reached the higher standard in reading alone. Average scores were 106 in reading and 105 in maths, both slightly above the national average of 100. Nationally, the school sits in the 58th percentile for its combined expected standard, placing it in the bottom half of schools in North Yorkshire.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including an ICT suite, sports hall, gymnasium, outdoor playground, art studios, music rooms and a chapel. Sports provision covers gymnastics, netball, football, athletics, tennis and cricket, and there are clubs such as eco club, drama, coding and choir. For pupils with additional needs, the school lists support for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and physical disability. Given its small size, strong local demand and Good Ofsted rating, St Benedict's is likely to suit families who value a faith-based primary with a close-knit feel and who are comfortable with its modest academic profile relative to the highest-performing schools in the area.

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