St Mary's Church of England Primary School & Nursery
97%
Capacity
642
Pupils
1.7x
Demand
About St Mary's Church of England Primary School & Nursery
St Mary's Church of England Primary School & Nursery in Southampton is a large state primary running at near-full capacity, with 642 pupils against a published capacity of 660. The school serves a community with significantly higher-than-average levels of disadvantage: 46.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with the national primary average of around 23%. Demand for places is strong — for entry in 2025/26, the school received 101 applications for 60 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.68, and made 56 offers to first-preference families. This suggests a school that is well-regarded locally and draws families from across the area. The school is Church of England-affiliated and takes children from age 2 through to 11, with its own nursery provision on site. Daniel Constable-Phelps is the headteacher.
Academically, St Mary's was rated Outstanding in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a clear upgrade from its previous Good rating in 2018. Inspectors awarded top marks across all five graded categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. At Key Stage 2, 59% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — above the Southampton local authority average of 55%. However, only 8% reached the higher standard in all three subjects, and the school ranks 19th out of 42 primary schools in the LA on the expected standard measure, placing it in the bottom half locally and around the 59th percentile nationally. Average scores in reading (104) and maths (103) are in line with national averages, and the school performs solidly without being among the top tier in the city.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a sports hall, library, sensory room, music rooms, ICT suite, chapel and playing fields, plus clubs covering drama, coding, gardening, choir and art. Sports provision includes cross country, athletics, netball, swimming and football. SEND support is extensive, with provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language challenges, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. For families seeking a large, inclusive primary with strong pastoral and SEND infrastructure and a clear Church of England identity, St Mary's is a popular choice — oversubscribed but with a decent chance of a first-preference offer. It is one of only seven Outstanding primaries in Southampton, and the nearest other Outstanding school is Mount Pleasant Infants, 0.9 km away.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 2 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Ascupart Street, Southampton, Southampton, SO14 1LU |
| Headteacher | Daniel Constable-Phelps |
| Local Authority | Southampton |
| Number of Pupils | 642 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 46.4% |
| School Capacity | 642 / 660 (97% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
3 Oct 2023Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 20 Nov 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (59%)
8120th of 13,686
Nationally
1192nd of 2,034
In South East
19th of 42
In Southampton
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
59%
Expected Standard
8%
Higher Standard
'22/23
53%
'23/24
59%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed60
101
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
56 families put this school as their 1st choice (55% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:50 – 15:20
Breakfast club
08:40-08:50
Source: stmaryspri.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- Asian50.5%
- White (other)9.2%
- White British8.1%
- Mixed5.4%
- Black0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
9
Total schools
8
Oversubscribed
8
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About St Mary's Church of England Primary School & Nursery
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
Contact Information
Ascupart Street, Southampton
Southampton, SO14 1LU
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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