St Hugh of Lincoln Catholic Primary School

About St Hugh of Lincoln Catholic Primary School

St Hugh of Lincoln Catholic Primary School sits in Woking, within the Surrey local authority, and has earned a strong reputation among the area’s 298 state primary schools. It ranks 11th in Surrey overall, placing it comfortably in the top tier of schools locally. Among its closest peers in the same local authority are South Farnham School, The Raleigh School, and Cardinal Newman Catholic Primary School, all of which score highly on the same ranking metric. The school is the top-ranked primary in Woking itself, coming first out of 20 schools in the borough. Its nearest Outstanding-rated neighbour is St Dunstan's Catholic Primary School, about 4.5 kilometres away. With a Roman Catholic character and a headteacher in Catherine Grace, the school serves 212 pupils, just above its official capacity of 210, which hints at its popularity. Only 1.9 per cent of pupils qualify for free school meals, a figure well below the national average, reflecting the relatively affluent catchment it draws from.

Academically, St Hugh of Lincoln delivers results that comfortably exceed both local and national benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Surrey local authority average of 66 per cent. The school’s average scores in reading (109) and maths (108) are both above the national expectation of 100. A notable 43 per cent of pupils achieved a higher standard in reading, while 27 per cent did so in both maths and writing. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, awarded it Outstanding across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This marks a clear improvement from its previous Good rating in 2010, with all areas now rated at the highest level. The school does not have a sixth form, as it is a primary-only setting.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 121 applications for just 29 places, with 51 first-preference applications and an oversubscription ratio of 4.17. This means competition for places is fierce, and families should be prepared for a selective admissions process tied to its Catholic foundation. Facilities include a chapel, sports hall, gymnasium, ICT suite and an outdoor playground, while sports on offer range from swimming and gymnastics to netball and football. Clubs such as art, gardening, eco, film and science provide enrichment beyond the timetable. The school’s SEND provision covers a wide spectrum, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, dyslexia, visual impairment and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. This is a school that suits families seeking strong academic outcomes within a faith-based setting, but given the high demand, early registration and a clear understanding of the admissions criteria are essential.

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