St Columba's Catholic Primary School

About St Columba's Catholic Primary School

St Columba's Catholic Primary School in Birmingham is a popular choice among local families, and the numbers back that up. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 49 applications for just 17 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.88. Every single one of those 16 first-preference applicants was offered a place, which suggests that for families who put it top of their list, the school is a realistic and achievable option. The school is a state-funded Roman Catholic primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 4 to 11, with a current roll of 193 children against a capacity of 210. Over half of its pupils (50.8%) are eligible for free school meals, which is significantly above the national average and points to a diverse intake. In its most recent ungraded Ofsted inspection in November 2023, the school was confirmed to have remained Good, a rating it has held consistently across its previous graded inspections.

Academically, St Columba's delivers solid, if not spectacular, results at Key Stage 2. In the 2023/24 assessments, 63% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which matches the Birmingham local authority average of 63%. This places the school in the middle of the pack locally, ranking 127th out of 254 primary schools in Birmingham. Nationally, it sits around the 49th percentile. The school's strongest individual subject was writing, where 78% of pupils met the expected standard, followed by reading at 75% and maths at 72%. At the higher standard, the combined figure drops to just 3%, with maths the strongest subject at 19%. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points, but the overall picture is one of a school delivering broadly average outcomes for its cohort.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, art studios, playing fields, an outdoor playground and a chapel, reflecting its Catholic character. Sports provision includes swimming, tennis, athletics, rounders and dance, while extracurricular clubs cover drama, choir and chess. For families with children who have additional needs, St Columba's has stated provisions for moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication needs, social, emotional and mental health needs, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties or disabilities. The school does not have a nursery or a sixth form. Given its strong local demand, manageable size and inclusive intake, this school is likely to suit families who value a faith-based community primary with a broad curriculum and a realistic chance of securing a place if they apply as a first preference.

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