St Edward's Catholic Primary School

About St Edward's Catholic Primary School

St Edward's Catholic Primary School sits in the middle of the pack academically when compared with other primary schools in Middlesbrough. Its headline Key Stage 2 result — 57% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths — falls just below the local authority average of 62%. That places the school 24th out of 37 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the bottom half of the local league table. Nationally, it sits around the 64th percentile, which is broadly in line with its middling local rank. The picture is more nuanced when you dig into individual subjects. Reading is a clear strength: 88% of pupils hit the expected standard and 48% reached the higher standard, both well above what you might expect given the overall score. Maths and writing are closer to the LA norm, with 62% and 83% at expected level respectively. So while the combined headline figure is a touch below average, the school is not struggling across the board — reading results are notably strong.

The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2023, rated it Good overall, a downgrade from its previous Outstanding rating in 2009. The inspection team awarded Outstanding grades for early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes, while quality of education and leadership and management were both judged Good. That pattern suggests the school excels at creating a positive, well-ordered environment where children feel safe and supported, even if academic outcomes are not yet matching that high bar. The early years provision was singled out as Outstanding, which is worth noting for parents of younger children. With 419 pupils on roll against a capacity of 350, the school is significantly oversubscribed — 107 applications for 41 places in 2025/26, with 38 first-preference offers. That level of demand indicates strong local reputation, particularly among Catholic families, given the school's Roman Catholic character.

Facilities include a chapel, sensory room, library, art studios, and outdoor playgrounds, plus playing fields for sports like football, tennis, cricket and rounders. The school runs clubs covering choir, drama, gardening, science and book club, which gives a sense of a broad enrichment offer. SEND provision is well-documented, with support for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school also has a nursery provision for children from age three. For families prioritising a faith-based primary with strong pastoral care and good behaviour, St Edward's is a popular choice — the oversubscription figures speak for themselves. However, parents focused purely on academic league table position may want to compare it with nearby schools like St Bernadette's or Lingfield Primary, which rank higher locally.

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