St Paul's Catholic Primary School

About St Paul's Catholic Primary School

St Paul's Catholic Primary School in Portsmouth holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections. In its most recent ungraded inspection in November 2023, inspectors confirmed the school remains Good, with leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all rated Good. The most telling exam metric comes from the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results: 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits well above the Portsmouth local authority average of 53%, placing the school 6th out of 32 primary schools in the area. It also ranks in the top 50 nationally for this combined measure. While the proportion hitting the higher standard in reading, writing and maths is low at 2%, individual subject scores tell a stronger story — average reading and maths scores of 107 and 105 respectively are solid, and 33% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading.

Breaking down the core subjects, 76% of pupils met the expected standard in both reading and maths, with 70% doing so in writing. The school's performance is particularly notable in maths, where 26% of pupils reached the higher standard. These outcomes reflect a school that is delivering consistently above the local norm, even if the very top-end results are concentrated in reading. The school's ranking score of 67 places it just behind top local peers like Ark Ayrton Primary Academy (80) and Langstone Primary Academy (70), but it is comfortably in the top quarter of Portsmouth primaries. With no Outstanding schools in the local authority, St Paul's Good rating places it among the strongest available options for families prioritising academic standards within the state sector.

St Paul's is a Roman Catholic primary for children aged 2 to 11, with nursery provision on site. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26, there were 44 applications for 28 places, with all 28 first-preference applicants offered a spot. The school has capacity for 420 pupils but currently enrols 281, so class sizes are manageable. Facilities include a chapel, sensory room, music rooms, art studios, a gymnasium and a sports hall, with clubs covering chess, film and book club. Sports offered include swimming, netball and cricket. The school's SEND provision is broad, supporting pupils with autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, social and emotional challenges, dyslexia and physical disabilities. With 35.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse catchment. It will suit families who value a faith-based primary with strong core results and a wide range of facilities, particularly those looking for a school that outperforms the local average without being among the most selective or high-pressure environments.

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