St Patrick's Catholic Primary Academy

About St Patrick's Catholic Primary Academy

St Patrick's Catholic Primary Academy in Calderdale is a small school with a clear local following. It has capacity for 117 pupils but currently enrols 108, so it is not full, yet demand for places is strong. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 22 applications for just 13 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.69. All 13 first-preference applicants were offered a spot, which suggests that while the school is popular, it is not yet at the point where most families are being turned away. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 19.8%, which is above the national average for primary schools and indicates a more diverse intake than some of its local peers. As a Roman Catholic primary, the school serves families who value a faith-based education, and its nursery provision means children can join from age three. The headteacher, Catriona Boyes, leads a team that has recently turned the school around in the eyes of Ofsted.

Academically, the school's most recent KS2 results from 2023/24 paint a mixed picture. In reading, 56% of pupils met the expected standard and 11% reached a higher standard, with an average score of 102. In maths, 61% met the expected standard and 11% achieved the higher standard, with an average score of 101. No pupils met the expected standard in the combined reading, writing and maths measure, which places the school at the bottom of the Calderdale league table for that metric. However, the local authority average for KS2 expected standards is 59%, so St Patrick's is not far off in reading and maths individually. The school's ranking of 73rd out of 73 primary schools in Calderdale is a stark figure, but it is worth noting that the school has only recently improved its Ofsted rating. In its 2024 inspection, the school was rated Good across all categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This is a significant step up from its 2019 inspection, when it was judged to require improvement.

The school offers a range of facilities that support both learning and wellbeing, including a forest school, sensory room, chapel, music rooms, and an art studio. Sports provision includes swimming, football, rounders and cross country, while clubs such as art, coding, chess, eco club and gardening give pupils plenty of enrichment opportunities. The school has identified SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder, which suggests it is equipped to support a range of additional needs. For families considering St Patrick's, the key trade-off is between a strong recent Ofsted rating and below-average KS2 outcomes. The school is clearly popular locally, but parents should weigh the academic data carefully, particularly if they have high expectations for combined reading, writing and maths attainment. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is The Greetland Academy, 1.3 km away, which may be worth comparing.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Patrick's Catholic Primary Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents