St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

About St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School sits in a middle position within Hampshire, with its Key Stage 2 combined expected standard in reading, writing and maths hitting 62% — almost exactly in line with the local authority average of 61%. That places the school 133rd out of 425 primary schools in the county, which is a solidly average performance rather than a standout one. What is more striking is the variation between subjects: 97% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, well above the national picture, while maths lagged behind at 68% and writing at 79%. The school's overall ranking score of 62 puts it in the bottom 50% nationally, but within Rushmoor it ranks 7th out of 16 primary schools, suggesting it performs respectably compared with immediate neighbours.

The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024 upgraded it from Requires Improvement to Good across all five graded categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all received a 2 (Good). This is a clear improvement from the previous inspection in September 2021, where the overall effectiveness was rated 3 (Requires Improvement). At Key Stage 2, the average reading score was 108 and maths 103, though progress scores are not available in the data. Only 3% of pupils achieved the higher standard in maths, compared with 26% in reading and 6% in writing, reinforcing the picture of reading as the school's strongest area. With 20% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a moderately disadvantaged intake.

The school is oversubscribed: for 30 places in the 2025/26 intake, it received 60 total applications and 25 first-preference applications, all of whom were offered a place. Facilities include a dining hall, library, outdoor playground, ICT suite and chapel, reflecting its Roman Catholic character. Sports on offer include dance, netball, athletics, cross country, gymnastics and cricket, while clubs range from chess and gardening to book, art and science clubs. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and multi-sensory impairment. This is a school that suits families who value a faith-based primary with strong reading outcomes, a clear improvement trajectory under headteacher Peter Lynch, and a broad range of extracurricular activities, but who are comfortable with maths results that sit below the national average.

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