St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy

About St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy

St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy sits third out of 58 primary schools in Derby, placing it firmly among the city's strongest state primaries. It is the top-ranked Catholic option in the local authority, trailing only Griffe Field Primary School and Gayton Junior School in the local rankings. The school is oversubscribed by a wide margin — for 50 places in the 2025/26 intake, it received 95 applications, with 44 of those coming as first preferences. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.9, meaning nearly two families apply for every spot. The school's religious character as a Roman Catholic institution likely shapes its admissions criteria, though the data doesn't specify how places are allocated. With 392 pupils on roll against a capacity of 357, the school is operating above its official limit, which is unusual and suggests strong local demand. A quarter of pupils (24.5%) are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average and indicates the school serves a mixed catchment.

Academically, St Mary's performs well above the Derby average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of just 55%. That puts the school in the top 25% nationally and the top 10% within the East Midlands. Results are particularly strong in writing, where 92% met expectations, and in reading, where 88% did. At the higher standard, 44% of pupils achieved greater depth in reading, 26% in maths and 20% in writing. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023 rated it Good overall, but with three Outstanding judgements: for early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes. Leadership and management was also judged Outstanding. The previous inspection in 2013 had rated the school Good across the board, so this represents a clear improvement in several key areas.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including a chapel, forest school, art studios, library, ICT suite and playing fields. Sports provision covers swimming, football, netball and gymnastics, while clubs include drama, film club and choir. There is nursery provision for children from age three. The school has identified four categories of SEND support: specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, and speech language and communication needs. For families considering St Mary's, the main practical challenge is securing a place — with nearly two applicants per spot and only 44 first-preference offers made, it is a competitive choice. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Lawn Primary School, 0.7 km away, which may be a useful alternative for families who don't secure a place here. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic outcomes, a Catholic ethos, and a setting where behaviour and personal development are rated Outstanding.

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