St Mary's Catholic Primary School
About St Mary's Catholic Primary School
St Mary's Catholic Primary School sits within the Isle of Wight local authority, where it ranks 5th out of 35 primary schools, placing it comfortably in the top 15% of its peers. The three schools immediately ahead of it are Wootton Community Primary School, Gurnard Primary School, and Dover Park Primary School. As a Roman Catholic state primary for mixed pupils aged 2 to 11, the school is led by headteacher Margaret Sanderson and currently has 167 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210. The school has seen a notable improvement in its most recent Ofsted inspection, conducted in June 2025, where it was judged Good across all key areas. This marks a clear step up from its previous inspection in November 2022, when the school was rated Requires Improvement overall. The most striking gain is in personal development, which is now rated Outstanding, while leadership and management, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and early years provision have all moved from Requires Improvement to Good.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 38 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 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
24 Jun 2025From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.
Source: Ofsted, 20 Jul 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
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
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights