Classpot

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard Castle

County Durham, DL12 8JRPrimaryAges 3–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Nov 2024
KS2 Results
75%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
0.9×
Not oversubscribed
12 1st-choice / 13 places
Ranking
🏆Top 25%
#2635 of 13,686 nationally

About St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard Castle

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Barnard Castle is a small, popular state primary that currently teaches 100 pupils against a capacity of 105, meaning it is running very close to full. The school serves a community where 17.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools and suggests a genuine mix of backgrounds. Demand is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 39 applications for just 13 places, an oversubscription ratio of three to one. Of those, 12 were first-preference applications, and 12 first-preference offers were made, indicating that almost every family who put it first got a place, but competition for the remaining single place was fierce. The school is a Roman Catholic voluntary-aided school, so its admissions policy will prioritise faith-based criteria, which is worth factoring in if you are not a practising Catholic. With a nursery provision attached, it feeds children in from age three.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range3 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressBirch Road, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8JR
HeadteacherLesley Ann Box
Local AuthorityCounty Durham
Number of Pupils100
Free School Meals (FSM)17.3%
School Capacity100 / 105 (95% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

The full report on this school

What 32 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

12 Nov 2024
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Good

Latest monitoring visit (12 Nov 2024): Standards maintained

Source: Ofsted, 19 Dec 2019. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

5
Dining HallArt StudiosSports HallForest SchoolChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

12

Sports

AthleticsCricketCross CountrySwimmingGymnasticsFootballRounders

Clubs & Activities

Science ClubDramaBook ClubChoirArt Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguagePhysicalLearning DifficultyMulti-Sensory

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard Castle

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Barnard Castle has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.