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St Catherine's Roman Catholic School

Dorset, DT6 3TRPrimaryAges 5–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Requires Improvement
Oct 2025
KS2 Results
50%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
8 1st-choice / 8 places
Ranking
#10,692
of 13,686 nationally

About St Catherine's Roman Catholic School

St Catherine's Roman Catholic School in Dorset received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted in its most recent inspection in 2023, a grade it has held since at least the previous inspection in 2019. The school's most telling academic metric is the Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard, where just 50% of pupils met the benchmark in the 2023/24 academic year. That places the school below the Dorset local authority average of 56% and ranks it 43rd out of 68 primary schools in the area, putting it in the bottom half of the county. The picture is mixed across individual subjects: 71% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, compared with 63% in writing and 58% in maths. Only 8% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, and the school's national ranking places it in the bottom quarter of all primary schools in England.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range5 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressPymore Road, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3TR
HeadteacherPaula Fearn
Local AuthorityDorset
Number of Pupils118
Free School Meals (FSM)22.0%
School Capacity118 / 210 (56% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

7 Jun 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Requires improvement
Early Years Provision
Requires improvement

Source: Ofsted, 19 Sept 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

8
LibraryPlaying FieldsOutdoor PlaygroundSports HallICT SuiteDining HallForest SchoolChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

8

Sports

TennisCricketCross CountrySwimmingFootball

Clubs & Activities

Art ClubChoirChess

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

DyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:30 – 15:00

Breakfast club

07:30-08:30

After-school care

15:00-17:30

Source: stcatherinesbridport.dorset.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Catherine's Roman Catholic School

St Catherine's Roman Catholic School has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.