St Catherine's Catholic Primary School

About St Catherine's Catholic Primary School

St Catherine's Catholic Primary School sits right in the middle of the pack when you compare its headline Key Stage 2 results to the Newcastle upon Tyne average. The school's proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 62%, which is just a single percentage point below the local authority average of 63%. That places it 28th out of 55 primary schools in the area, putting it squarely in the middle of the table. For a small school with just 164 pupils on roll, that consistency is worth noting. The school's overall Ofsted rating remains Good, following an inspection in June 2025, and inspectors judged every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — as Good. The early years provision also came out as Good. Compared with its previous inspection in 2015, which also rated the school Good overall, the current picture is one of sustained solid performance rather than dramatic change.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 exam data, the school's strengths and weaker spots become clearer. In reading, 79% of pupils met the expected standard and 28% reached the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 105. Writing was similar, with 79% at expected and 31% at the higher level. Maths was a touch lower: 76% at expected and 28% at higher, with an average score of 104. The combined expected standard of 62% is respectable but leaves room for improvement, especially given that the school's ranking places it in the bottom half nationally. The parent view is overwhelmingly positive: 85% of the 26 respondents would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed that their child is happy (93% strongly agree or agree) and feels safe (92% strongly agree or agree). Behaviour is seen as strong, with 93% agreeing the school ensures good conduct, though a small minority of 8% strongly disagreed on several questions, which is worth noting.

The school is clearly popular locally. For the 2025/26 reception intake, St Catherine's received 39 applications for just 16 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 2.44 applicants per place. Only 12 first-preference offers were made, so getting in is competitive. The school has a Roman Catholic character and offers nursery provision for younger children. Facilities include a forest school, chapel, ICT suite, library, gymnasium and playing fields, and there is a decent range of clubs from drama and choir to coding and gardening. SEND support covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs — though the parent view data on SEND support had no responses, so it is hard to gauge satisfaction there. This is a school that suits families who value a faith-based, community-focused primary with solid but not outstanding results, and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process.

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