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 is a small, oversubscribed state primary in Stockton-on-Tees, and the numbers suggest it’s a school that local families actively want. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 15 applications for just 7 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.14 — meaning more than two families applied for every spot. All 7 first-preference applicants were offered a place, which will reassure parents that putting it top of their list is a realistic bet. The school has a nursery provision for children from age 2, and with only 107 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105, it’s running at full stretch. The headteacher is Shaun Smith, and the school’s religious character is Church of England. While the Department for Education’s Parent View data isn’t included here, the oversubscription alone signals strong local confidence.

Academically, St Mary’s sits in the bottom half of Stockton-on-Tees primary schools, ranked 38th out of 55 on the key stage 2 expected standard measure. In the 2023/24 KS2 results, 58% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — below the local authority average of 66%. The school’s ranking score of 58 places it in the bottom 50 nationally. That said, there are brighter spots in individual subjects: 75% of pupils met the expected standard in both reading and writing, and 58% did so in maths. Higher-attaining pupils are less common here — just 8% achieved the higher standard across all three subjects — though 42% reached the higher bar in reading and maths individually. Average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 104 in maths, both a touch above the national baseline of 100. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in December 2022, confirmed it ‘remains Good’, a rating it has held since at least its 2012 graded inspection.

For families considering St Mary’s, the practical offer is strong. The school grounds include playing fields, a sports hall, gymnasium, forest school area, sensory room, ICT suite, chapel and a dining hall — a decent range for a primary of this size. Sports provision covers football, netball, cricket, athletics, swimming, cross country and tennis, while after-school clubs include coding, art, chess and film club. The school’s SEND register covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, social and emotional mental health, and hearing impairment. With a low free school meals rate of 7.3%, the intake is less disadvantaged than many in the borough. This is a school that suits families who value a Church of England ethos, a full range of facilities in a compact setting, and a realistic chance of securing a place if they apply early — though the oversubscription means it’s not a guaranteed option for everyone.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Mary's Church of England Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents