St Paul of the Cross Catholic Primary School

About St Paul of the Cross Catholic Primary School

St Paul of the Cross Catholic Primary School in Warrington was rated Good in its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2016, a rating that was confirmed as unchanged in an ungraded inspection in 2021. This marks a clear improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2014, when the school was judged to require improvement overall. The most informative exam metric available is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2, which stood at 50% in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure is notably below the Warrington local authority average of 69%, and it places the school 50th out of 55 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the bottom half of the local rankings. Nationally, the school sits in the 79th percentile, meaning around a fifth of primary schools across England perform lower on this combined measure.

Looking at individual subjects, the picture is mixed. In writing, 75% of pupils met the expected standard, and 25% reached the higher standard, both above the school’s combined average. Reading saw 69% at expected and 19% at the higher level, while maths lagged behind with 56% at expected and just 13% at the higher level. Average scaled scores were 101 in reading and 100 in maths, both close to the national baseline of 100. The school has no published progress scores, so it is not possible to say how much value it adds relative to pupils’ starting points. Ofsted’s inspection report praised leadership and management as Good, and early years provision was also rated Good, though no separate grades were given for quality of education, behaviour, or personal development in the most recent graded inspection.

The school is a small Roman Catholic primary with 124 pupils against a capacity of 210, and it has a nursery provision for children from age three. It was oversubscribed for Reception places in 2025/26, with 26 applications for 15 places and 14 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.73. Facilities include an ICT suite, library, art studios, music rooms, a chapel, and an outdoor playground. Sports offered range from gymnastics and football to swimming and cross country, and clubs include coding, chess, film club, eco club and gardening. The school supports pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties or disabilities. With 26.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average deprivation. This is a faith-based, community-focused primary that has improved its Ofsted rating but faces challenges in raising academic outcomes to match the local average.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Paul of the Cross Catholic Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents