St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Blackhill
About St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Blackhill
St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Blackhill is a state primary for mixed pupils aged 5 to 11, and it's noticeably undersubscribed relative to its physical capacity. With 204 pupils on roll against a school capacity of 270, there is room for around 66 more children. That said, demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 67 total applications for just 28 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.39. All 28 first-preference applicants were offered a spot, so families who put it top of their list have a solid chance. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 9.3%, which is below the national average for primary schools and suggests a relatively less disadvantaged intake compared with many schools in County Durham. As a Roman Catholic school, it will naturally appeal to Catholic families, but the admissions data shows it is also attracting broader local interest.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
27 Mar 2024Latest monitoring visit (27 Mar 2024): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 27 Mar 2015. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
8Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
09:00 – 15:30
Source: stmarysblackhill.bwcet.com. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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