St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School

About St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School

St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School in Torbay is a small Roman Catholic state primary with just 59 pupils on roll against a capacity of 180, meaning it is operating at roughly a third of its potential size. That spare capacity is notable given the local demand: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 12 applications for 7 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.71 applicants per place, and all 7 first-preference families were offered a spot. The pupil body is significantly more disadvantaged than the national average, with 44.1% of children eligible for free school meals — a figure that stands well above the typical primary in Torbay. The school’s religious character is Roman Catholic, and it is led by headteacher Hannah Maskell. Despite its small size, the school offers a library, playing fields, a gymnasium, an ICT suite and a chapel, and runs clubs including book club, drama, gardening, choir, eco club and science club.

Academically, the school has improved markedly. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023, it was rated Good overall, with Good across all five graded categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This represents a clear step up from its previous inspection in 2019, when it was rated Requires Improvement overall, with early years provision also Requires Improvement and leadership and management judged as Good. The school does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results in the data provided, so it is not possible to compare its academic performance directly against the Torbay local authority average of 61% achieving the expected standard. However, the improvement trajectory under the current leadership is evident from the Ofsted grades, and the school now sits among 2 outstanding primaries in a local authority of 31 primary schools, with the nearest outstanding option being Galmpton Church of England Primary School, 3.1 km away.

For families considering St Margaret Clitherow, the practical picture is one of a small, faith-based school with strong demand relative to its size. The school’s SEND provisions are broad, covering specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder — suggesting it is well set up to support a range of additional needs. Sports on offer include swimming, dance, tennis, netball, rounders, cross country and football. The school does not have a nursery or sixth form, and is not a boarding school. Given its small roll and high FSM percentage, this is a school that may particularly suit families looking for a close-knit, inclusive Catholic environment with a strong pastoral focus, especially those whose children require SEND support. The oversubscription ratio of 1.71 indicates that while not every applicant gets a place, first-preference families have a strong chance of success.

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