St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

About St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in York holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a change from the Outstanding grade it received in its previous inspection back in 2011. The school's overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were all rated Good, with early years provision also judged Good. On the key academic measure for primary schools, 58% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure sits just below the York local authority average of 62%, placing the school 32nd out of 47 primary schools in the area. Nationally, it ranks in the 60th percentile among all state primaries, which puts it broadly in the middle of the pack.

Looking more closely at individual subjects, the school's strongest result was in reading, where 75% of pupils reached the expected standard and 17% achieved a higher score. In maths, 67% met expectations and 25% reached the higher standard, while writing saw 67% at expected and 17% at the higher level. Average scaled scores were 106 in maths and 104 in reading, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100. The school does not have published progress scores for any subject, so it is not possible to compare how much value it adds relative to pupils' starting points. With only 4.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is notably less disadvantaged than many schools nationally, which is worth bearing in mind when interpreting the results.

The school is small, with 104 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105, and it is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 20 applications for 11 places, with all 11 first-preference applicants receiving offers. Facilities include a sports hall, playing fields, ICT suite, outdoor playground, art studios and a chapel. Sports on offer range from tennis and football to swimming and rounders, while clubs include science, coding, chess, choir, book club and art club. The school has a Church of England religious character and supports pupils with a range of SEND needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health needs. This is a solid, well-regarded local primary that suits families seeking a small, faith-based school with a broad range of activities, though those prioritising top-tier academic results may want to look at higher-ranked peers in York.

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