St Mary's Catholic Primary Academy

About St Mary's Catholic Primary Academy

St Mary's Catholic Primary Academy in Kirklees posts a mixed picture when set against the local authority average for primary schools. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 59% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which sits just one percentage point below the Kirklees average of 60%. That is a narrow gap, and the school's reading scores are a clear strength: 80% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 32% achieved the higher standard, both comfortably above the national picture implied by the LA average. In maths, 70% hit the expected level and 23% reached the higher standard. The school ranks 54th out of 94 primaries in Kirklees on the combined expected standard metric, placing it in the bottom half of the LA but not far from the middle. Its national percentile of roughly 60 suggests it is performing in line with a typical state primary, rather than standing out as either a high-flyer or a struggling school.

Ofsted visited for an ungraded inspection in February 2025 and confirmed that standards are being maintained, with the school retaining its overall Good rating. That is a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2015, when it was judged Requires Improvement. Leadership and management, early years provision and the overall effectiveness are all rated Good. The parent view snapshot, based on 12 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025, is overwhelmingly positive: 83% of respondents would recommend the school, and 100% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. On academic expectations, 75% agreed or strongly agreed that the school has high expectations for their child, and 92% agreed or strongly agreed that their child does well. The only note of caution is that 17% of parents disagreed that concerns are dealt with properly, though 42% strongly agreed.

The school is a Roman Catholic primary for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry there were 54 applications for 25 places, a ratio of 2.16 applicants per place, and all 25 first-preference families received an offer. Facilities include a forest school, sensory room, chapel, ICT suite and gymnasium, and the extracurricular offer covers choir, gardening, drama, science club, eco club and chess. Sports include netball, gymnastics, swimming, rounders, athletics, cross country and dance. The school supports a wide range of SEND needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. With 40.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, this is a diverse intake, and the school's strong parent satisfaction scores suggest it is a settled, happy environment for local families.

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