St Robert Southwell Catholic Primary School

About St Robert Southwell Catholic Primary School

St Robert Southwell Catholic Primary School in Brent is a popular choice among local families, and the numbers tell a clear story. The school has 452 pupils on roll, which is 32 over its stated capacity of 420, and it was oversubscribed for Reception places in the 2025/26 admissions round. With 136 applications for 60 places, the oversubscription ratio sits at 2.27, and of the 69 first-preference applications, 59 received offers. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 8.8%, which is notably lower than the national average for primary schools. As a Roman Catholic school, its intake is shaped by its faith designation, and the school also offers nursery provision for children from age three. The headteacher is Honor Beck, who leads a mixed-gender primary school that has clearly built a strong local reputation.

Academically, the school performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Brent average of 65%. The school ranks 5th out of 52 primary schools in the borough, placing it in the top 10% locally, and 437th nationally out of nearly 14,000 schools. Subject-level results are strong: 91% met the expected standard in reading, 89% in writing and 89% in maths, with average scaled scores of 107 in reading and 108 in maths. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 16%. In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, the school received an overall rating of Outstanding, with Outstanding for early years provision, leadership and management, and behaviour and attitudes. An ungraded inspection in December 2024 confirmed that standards are being maintained.

The school offers a range of facilities including a dining hall, sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, a chapel and a forest school. Clubs include coding, eco club, choir, science club, art club and film club, while sports on offer are athletics, netball, cricket, swimming and football. SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, multi-sensory impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 100% of respondents to the Parent View survey would recommend the school, with 90% strongly agreeing that their child is happy and 85% strongly agreeing that their child feels safe. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic outcomes within a Catholic faith context, and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process given its oversubscribed status.

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