St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy
About St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Parents considering St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy in Stockport will find a school that is clearly popular with local families. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 71 applications for just 27 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2. 63, meaning nearly three families applied for every spot. Of those, 26 first-preference families received offers, so if you live close and make it your top choice, your chances are reasonable but not guaranteed. The school's parent-view signals are strong, though the data doesn't include a specific recommend percentage. With 222 pupils on roll against a capacity of 250, there is some headroom, but the high demand suggests a reputation that precedes it. The school is a Roman Catholic voluntary academy, so faith-based admissions criteria will likely apply, and it offers nursery provision for children from age three. The headteacher, John Nish, leads a school that feels both sought-after and community-focused.
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
5 Dec 2023Source: Ofsted, 27 Jun 2024. 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.
School day
Teaching hours
08:50 – 15:20
Source: stmarysmarplebridge.srscmat.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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