St Mary's Catholic Primary School

About St Mary's Catholic Primary School

St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Stratford-on-Avon sits right on the Warwickshire local authority average for the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2, with both the school and the LA figure at 62%. That places it in a solidly middle-of-the-road position locally, though it's worth noting that the school's ranking within the LA for this metric is 87th out of 196 primary schools, putting it in the bottom half of the county. The school's overall Ofsted rating is Good, a step down from the Outstanding it held in its previous inspection in 2011. In its most recent graded inspection in November 2023, inspectors rated every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — as Good. The school is oversubscribed, with 54 applications for 20 places in the 2025/26 intake, and 19 of those 54 were first-preference choices, suggesting it remains a popular option for local Catholic families despite not topping the league tables.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the picture is mixed. While the school matches the LA average on the combined expected standard, individual subject scores show some variation. In writing, 88% of pupils met the expected standard, which is notably strong. Reading and maths were lower, at 76% and 71% respectively. At the higher standard — working at greater depth — the school's combined figure of 9% is modest, though 29% reached that level in reading and 21% in writing. Average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 103 in maths, both a touch above the national benchmark of 100. The school's ranking nationally for the combined expected standard places it in the 53rd percentile, and within the West Midlands region it sits at the 52nd percentile. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it's hard to say whether pupils are making more or less progress than peers elsewhere, but the raw attainment figures suggest a school where most children leave with the basics securely in place.

The school is a Roman Catholic primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 4 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision. It has a range of facilities including a gymnasium, art studios, a library, a forest school area, a chapel, and an outdoor playground. Sports on offer include cricket, tennis, athletics and gymnastics, and there are clubs for drama, coding and science. The school's SEND provision covers a broad spectrum, including support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, visual impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 15.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a slightly above-average proportion of disadvantaged children for a primary in this area. It is oversubscribed at a ratio of 2.7 applicants per place, so families considering it should be prepared to apply early and likely need to demonstrate a Catholic connection. This is a school that suits families who value a faith-based setting, strong writing outcomes, and a broad range of enrichment activities, but who are comfortable with results that are solid rather than exceptional.

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