St Paulinus Catholic Primary Academy

About St Paulinus Catholic Primary Academy

St Paulinus Catholic Primary Academy sits within the Kirklees local authority, where it ranks 85th out of 94 primary schools based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2. That places it in the bottom half of schools locally, well behind the top-performing peers in the area. The highest-ranked nearby school is Carlton Junior and Infant School, followed by Netherthong Primary School and St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior, Infant and Early Years School. For families considering alternatives, the nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Crowlees Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School, about 3.1 kilometres away. St Paulinus itself is a Roman Catholic state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It has a capacity of 443 and currently houses 383 pupils, meaning it is not yet full.

Academically, the school's most recent Key Stage 2 results, from the 2023/24 academic year, show that 39 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is significantly below the Kirklees local authority average of 60 per cent. Only 3 per cent reached the higher standard in all three subjects. In individual subjects, 56 per cent achieved the expected standard in reading, 54 per cent in maths and 51 per cent in writing. Average scaled scores were 102 in both reading and maths. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, rated it Requires Improvement overall, a drop from its previous Good rating in 2012. The inspection found that the quality of education, early years provision and leadership and management all require improvement, while personal development and behaviour and attitudes were judged to be Good.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, forest school, sensory room and a chapel. Sports on offer include cross country, netball, swimming, cricket and athletics, and there are clubs for film, coding and drama. For pupils with additional needs, the school provides support for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, social, emotional and mental health needs, and physical disabilities. Admissions for the 2025/26 academic year were oversubscribed, with 76 applications for 45 places and 43 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.69. This suggests a committed local community, though the academic outcomes and Ofsted rating mean it may not suit families prioritising high attainment or a top inspection grade.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Paulinus Catholic Primary Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents