St Catherine's RC School

About St Catherine's RC School

St Catherine's RC School in Barnet is a state primary with a Roman Catholic character that is noticeably oversubscribed. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 166 applications for just 59 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.81. Of those, 67 families put it as their first preference, and only 55 first-preference offers were made. The school currently has 480 pupils on roll, slightly above its official capacity of 471, which suggests it is running at full stretch. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 6.1 per cent, well below the national average for primary schools, and this is consistent with the school's location in a relatively affluent London borough. The headteacher is Maureen Kelly, and the school caters for children from age two through to eleven, with nursery provision available. The religious character is Roman Catholic, which will be a key factor for many families considering the school.

Academically, St Catherine's performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Barnet average of 73 per cent. The school ranks 21st out of 80 primaries in the borough on this measure, placing it in the top 26 per cent locally and in the top 8 per cent nationally. Results are particularly strong in reading, where 92 per cent met the expected standard and 65 per cent reached the higher standard. In maths, 97 per cent met the expected standard and 44 per cent achieved the higher level. The average scaled scores were 111 in reading and 109 in maths. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good overall, with Outstanding marks for personal development and for behaviour and attitudes. The early years provision and leadership and management were both rated Good.

The school offers a range of facilities including a gymnasium, library, ICT suite, outdoor playground and a chapel. Sports on offer include rounders, netball, cross country, gymnastics and athletics, while clubs cover drama, art, gardening, film and science. The SEND provision is broad, supporting children with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. For families prioritising a faith-based education with strong academic outcomes, St Catherine's is a clear contender, though the high demand means securing a place is competitive. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Monken Hadley CofE Primary School, 1.6 km away, which may be an alternative for those who miss out.

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