St Gregory's Catholic Primary School

About St Gregory's Catholic Primary School

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School in Sandwell is a school that parents clearly want for their children. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 77 applications for just 29 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.66. Every one of those 29 first-preference applicants was offered a place, which suggests that while demand is strong, families who put it top of their list have a realistic chance. The school is a state-funded Roman Catholic primary for mixed genders aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. It currently has 227 pupils, slightly above its official capacity of 210, and 21 per cent of children are eligible for free school meals. The headteacher is Kevin Brown. In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, carried out in March 2019, the school was rated Outstanding overall, with Outstanding for both leadership and management and for personal development. An ungraded inspection in July 2024 confirmed that the school remains Outstanding, though with a 'Concerns' caveat attached.

Academically, the picture is mixed. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 57 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is below the Sandwell local authority average of 60 per cent and places the school 53rd out of 83 primaries in the borough, in the bottom half nationally. However, individual subject results tell a more nuanced story. In reading, 74 per cent of pupils met the expected standard and the average score was 103, while in writing 79 per cent hit the mark. Maths was weaker, with 62 per cent at the expected level and an average score of 100. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in all three subjects was just 2 per cent. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is hard to say whether children are improving at a faster or slower rate than peers elsewhere. The school's previous Ofsted inspection in 2015 rated it Good, so the jump to Outstanding in 2019 represents a clear improvement in quality.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, outdoor playground, playing fields, art studios and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, dance, athletics, football, swimming and cricket, while clubs include film club, coding and chess. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication difficulties, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. This breadth of SEND provision is a practical strength. The nearest other Outstanding-rated primary is Shireland Technology Primary, 1.2 kilometres away. St Gregory's is a faith school with a clear Catholic identity, and its oversubscription suggests it is well regarded locally. It will suit families who prioritise a strong moral framework and a school that has been judged excellent by inspectors, but who are also realistic about its middling position on standardised test scores compared with other Sandwell primaries.

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