St Katharine's Church of England Primary School

About St Katharine's Church of England Primary School

St Katharine's Church of England Primary School sits well above the local authority average for its key stage 2 results, a clear standout in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined sits at 63%, St Katharine's achieves 73%. That ten-point gap places the school 8th out of 50 primary schools in the authority, comfortably inside the top 25% nationally. It is one of only five schools in the LA rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and its most recent inspection in 2024 awarded top marks across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. That is a significant upgrade from its previous Good rating in 2013, and the school now holds the highest possible judgement across the board.

Academic outcomes at St Katharine's are strong across the core subjects. In reading, 84% of pupils met the expected standard and 49% reached the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 109. Maths saw 87% at expected and 41% at the higher level, with an average score of 107. Writing was slightly lower but still robust, with 83% at expected and 24% at the higher standard. The combined expected standard of 73% is well above the LA average, and the school's ranking reflects this consistency. The school does not publish progress scores for reading, writing or maths, so it is not possible to compare pupil progress directly against the LA, but the attainment figures alone suggest pupils are leaving key stage 2 with strong foundations. The school has no sixth form, as it is a primary, and no nursery provision, so entry points are at Reception and in-year admissions.

St Katharine's is a Church of England school with a chapel on site, and it offers a range of facilities including art studios, a library, a dining hall and a Forest School. Sports provision covers rounders, cross country, dance, football, cricket, swimming and tennis, and there are clubs for drama, coding, choir and film club. The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26, it received 114 applications for 59 places, with 61 first-preference applications and 56 first-preference offers. That oversubscription ratio of 1.93 means competition for places is real. SEND provisions are broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. With 5.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals — below the national average — the school draws from a relatively advantaged intake. It suits families who value strong academic outcomes within a faith-based setting and who are prepared to navigate a competitive admissions process.

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