St Mary Magdalen Catholic Primary School

About St Mary Magdalen Catholic Primary School

St Mary Magdalen Catholic Primary School sits in the middle of the pack in Brighton and Hove, with 60% of its pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2. That is almost exactly in line with the local authority average of 59% for primary schools, placing it 22nd out of 40 schools in the borough and in the bottom half nationally. For a small Roman Catholic state primary with a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (43.3%), holding its own against the LA benchmark is a solid outcome. Where the school does stand out is in writing: 85% of pupils met the expected standard, well above the reading figure of 80% and maths at 65%. Higher-attaining pupils are less common here — just 5% achieved the higher standard in maths, and none did so in writing or in the combined reading, writing and maths measure. The average scaled scores of 104 in reading and 102 in maths are respectable but not exceptional.

The school’s most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2019, rated it Good overall and Good across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. A subsequent ungraded inspection in June 2025 confirmed that standards have been maintained. That consistency is worth noting, especially given the previous inspection in 2016 had rated early years provision as Requires Improvement. The school has clearly steadied itself since then. With no Progress 8 scores available for a primary setting, the best academic benchmark is the KS2 data, which shows a school that gets the majority of its pupils to the expected level but does not push many beyond it. The local authority has only three Outstanding primary schools, the nearest being Hove Junior School 3.1 km away, so Good is the typical rating in this area.

St Mary Magdalen is oversubscribed: for 25 places in 2025/26, it received 57 applications, with 22 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.28, so families applying from outside the Catholic catchment will need to be realistic. The school has a nursery provision and a range of facilities including a library, sports hall, playing fields, a sensory room and a Forest School. Clubs cover eco, drama, film, book, choir and coding, and sports include swimming, football, rounders and athletics. SEND provision is listed for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language issues, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families who value a faith-based, community-focused primary with consistent Good outcomes, particularly strong in writing, and who are comfortable with a setting where the majority of pupils achieve at the expected level rather than pushing into higher-attaining territory.

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