St Mary's Church of England Primary School

About St Mary's Church of England Primary School

St Mary's Church of England Primary School in Sheffield sits slightly below the local authority average for its key stage 2 headline measure. In the 2023/24 academic year, 55% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Sheffield primary average of 57%. That two-point gap is modest, but it places the school 60th out of 106 primaries in the borough, squarely in the bottom half. The picture is more mixed when you look at individual subjects: 76% hit the expected level in reading and 72% in maths, both respectable figures, while writing lagged at 69%. Where the school really stands out is in behaviour and attitudes — Ofsted rated this Outstanding in its most recent graded inspection in 2022, the only category to earn that top mark. The overall effectiveness remains Good, a rating it has held across both its recent inspections, with leadership and management, quality of education, personal development and early years provision all judged Good.

The school's progress scores for key stage 2 are not available in the published data, so it's harder to judge how much value it adds from pupils' starting points. What we do know is that the proportion reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined was just 3%, well below what you'd see at the strongest local primaries. In reading, 34% of pupils achieved the higher standard, compared with 21% in maths and only 10% in writing. The average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 103 in maths, both a touch above the national benchmark of 100. With 34.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals — significantly above the national average — the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake, which provides important context for its results. The Ofsted report from October 2022 noted that behaviour and attitudes are Outstanding, and inspectors highlighted strong personal development, both of which suggest a school that supports children well beyond just academic outcomes.

St Mary's is a Church of England primary with nursery provision for children aged three and over, and it's clearly popular with local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 45 applications for just 21 places, making it oversubscribed by more than two to one; 19 of those 45 were first-preference applications, and all 19 received offers. The school has a strong set of facilities including a sensory room, forest school, chapel, library, ICT suite and playing fields, plus a gymnasium. Clubs range from coding and science club to choir, film club and art club, and sports on offer include netball, tennis, athletics, cricket, rounders and dance. For children with additional needs, the school supports a wide range of SEND categories including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. This is a school that suits families who value a supportive, community-focused environment with a clear Christian character, and who are comfortable with a solid but not outstanding academic profile.

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