St Pius X Catholic Primary School

About St Pius X Catholic Primary School

St Pius X Catholic Primary School in Chelmsford is clearly well-regarded by its parent community, with 91% of respondents to the most recent Parent View survey saying they would recommend the school. That survey, covering the period from September 2024 to September 2025, drew 33 responses and showed particularly strong feelings on happiness and safety: 64% strongly agreed their child is happy, and 67% strongly agreed their child feels safe. The school is also in high demand locally. For the 2025/26 academic year, St Pius X received 63 applications for just 30 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.1. Of those, 23 families put it as their first preference, and all 23 received offers. This level of competition suggests a school that local families are actively choosing, and the positive parent feedback on communication is notable too — 58% strongly agreed the school makes them aware of what their child will learn.

Academically, St Pius X performs solidly against local benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 65% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is slightly above the Essex local authority average of 62%. The school’s individual subject scores are also respectable: 87% met the expected standard in maths, 84% in writing, and 71% in reading. At the higher standard, 19% of pupils achieved the top marks across all three subjects. The school’s average scaled scores were 106 for maths and 105 for reading. Nationally, St Pius X ranks 5,945 out of 13,686 primary schools on the combined expected standard metric, placing it in the top 44% of schools. Within the Chelmsford local authority, it sits 21st out of 41 schools. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024 confirmed a Good rating, with leadership and management also judged Good, and early years provision rated Outstanding.

The school offers a strong range of facilities for a primary of its size, including a chapel, sensory room, music rooms, sports hall, and playing fields. Clubs cover everything from eco and science to gardening and chess, while sports include football, netball, tennis and gymnastics. For families with children who have additional needs, St Pius X lists provisions for a wide spectrum, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and specific learning difficulties. However, the Parent View data on SEND support is mixed: 50% strongly agreed the school gives SEND children the support they need, but 20% strongly disagreed, and 20% disagreed. With 22.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. It is a Roman Catholic state primary for mixed genders aged 5 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form. Given its oversubscription, families with a faith connection or living nearby will want to check the admissions criteria carefully.

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