St Peter's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy

About St Peter's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy

St Peter's Catholic Primary School in North Yorkshire is a state-funded Roman Catholic voluntary academy that currently teaches 229 pupils, operating slightly above its official capacity of 210. This oversubscription is reflected in its admission data for the 2025/26 academic year, where the school received 98 total applications for just 29 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.38. Of those applicants, 36 listed it as their first preference, and all 29 first-preference offers were taken up. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 11.8%, which is below the national average for primary schools and suggests a relatively affluent intake compared with many state primaries. The school also offers nursery provision for children aged three and above, which feeds into the main school. With a Roman Catholic religious character, the school will naturally appeal to Catholic families in the area, though its popularity among first-preference applicants indicates a broader local demand.

Academically, St Peter's performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a North Yorkshire average of 60%. The school ranks 42nd out of 223 primary schools in the local authority, placing it in the top 25% nationally. Individual subject scores were strong: 87% met the expected standard in maths, 83% in reading and 77% in writing. At the higher standard, 23% of pupils achieved the top marks across all three subjects, with maths particularly strong at 47% reaching the higher threshold. Average scaled scores were 107 in maths and 106 in reading, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024 rated it Good across all categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision, maintaining the same overall rating it received in its previous inspection in 2013.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, ICT suite, forest school area and a chapel. Sports provision covers cricket, athletics, gymnastics, netball and dance, while extracurricular clubs include eco club, drama, film club, choir, chess and science club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists seven SEND provisions covering specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. Given its oversubscribed status and strong academic outcomes relative to the local area, this school is likely to suit Catholic families and those who prioritise a values-based primary education with solid results. Parents should be aware that securing a place is competitive, particularly for first-preference applicants, and that the school's religious character may influence admissions criteria.

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