St Francis Catholic and Church of England Primary Academy

About St Francis Catholic and Church of England Primary Academy

St Francis Catholic and Church of England Primary Academy sits slightly above the Isle of Wight average for its key stage 2 headline measure. The local authority average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 52 per cent, while St Francis achieves 58 per cent. That six-point gap places the school 13th out of 36 primary schools in the authority, putting it in the top half of its local peers. The school’s ranking score of 58 places it behind the top three — Wootton Community Primary, Gurnard Primary and Dover Park Primary — but ahead of the majority of island primaries. Nationally, it sits in the 62nd percentile, meaning it outperforms more than six in ten schools across England. This is a school that delivers solid, above-average outcomes without being among the very highest performers, and its position reflects consistent rather than exceptional results.

A closer look at the 2023/24 key stage 2 results shows a mixed picture across individual subjects. In reading, 77 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard, with an average score of 104, and 32 per cent achieved the higher standard. Writing saw 84 per cent at expected and 29 per cent at higher. Maths was weaker: 65 per cent at expected, with an average score of 104 and 26 per cent at higher. The combined expected figure of 58 per cent is pulled down by maths, which is the only subject where the school falls below the national average for expected attainment. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021, the school was rated Good across all categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2016, when it was rated Inadequate overall.

St Francis is a smaller-than-average primary with 179 pupils against a capacity of 210, and it is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 29 applications for 17 places, with all 17 first-preference applicants offered a spot. The school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake, with 38 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Facilities include a gymnasium, sports hall, forest school, ICT suite, outdoor playground and a chapel. Sports offered include athletics, cross country, dance, swimming and rounders, and clubs range from book club and choir to coding, drama and chess. The school has a resourced provision and supports pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, as well as speech, language and communication needs. This is a good-fit school for families on the Isle of Wight seeking a faith-based primary with strong pastoral support and a broad extracurricular offer, particularly those whose children may need additional SEND support.

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