St Sebastian's RC Primary School
99%
Capacity
233
Pupils
1.7x
Demand
About St Sebastian's RC Primary School
St Sebastian's RC Primary School in Salford is a state-funded Roman Catholic primary for children aged 3 to 11, currently home to 233 pupils against a capacity of 236. That near-full roll suggests the school is well-embedded in its local community. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 56.2%, which is notably high compared with the national average and signals a catchment with significant socio-economic challenges. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 50 applications for 30 places, with 28 of those applications coming as first preferences. That works out at roughly 1.7 applicants per place, and the school was officially oversubscribed, making it a competitive choice for families within the Roman Catholic community in Salford.
Academically, St Sebastian's most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2019 rated the school Good overall, with Good marks for leadership, early years provision, and behaviour. An ungraded inspection in 2024 confirmed the school remains Good. That represents a clear improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2017, when it was rated Requires Improvement. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 53% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Salford local authority average of 61%. However, reading scores were a relative strength: 73% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, and the average reading score was 104. Maths was weaker, with 57% reaching the expected standard and an average score of 101. The school ranks 48th out of 65 primary schools in Salford on the combined expected standard measure, placing it in the bottom half locally.
The school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, an ICT suite, a dining hall, and a chapel, reflecting its Catholic character. Sports on offer include rounders, tennis, athletics and netball, while clubs extend to coding, chess and film club. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to profound learning difficulties, speech and language needs, and autistic spectrum disorder, which suggests the school is equipped to support a wide range of additional needs. With nursery provision on site, it can serve families from the earliest years through to Year 6. Given its oversubscribed status and strong local demand, St Sebastian's is likely to suit families who prioritise a Catholic faith-based primary with a supportive SEND offer, though those focused on top-tier academic outcomes may want to look at higher-performing local alternatives such as St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School, 2.2 km away.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 3 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Douglas Green, Salford, Salford, M6 6ET |
| Headteacher | Caroline Doyle |
| Local Authority | Salford |
| Number of Pupils | 233 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 56.2% |
| School Capacity | 233 / 236 (99% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
11 Apr 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (11 Apr 2024): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 23 May 2019. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (53%)
10027th of 13,686
Nationally
1450th of 2,065
In North West
48th of 65
In Salford
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
53%
Expected Standard
3%
Higher Standard
'22/23
67%
'23/24
53%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
5Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
7Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed29
50
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
28 families put this school as their 1st choice (56% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Source: stsebastiansprimary.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British33.9%
- Mixed20.6%
- White (other)12.4%
- Black4.3%
- Asian3.9%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
10
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
7
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About St Sebastian's RC Primary School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Douglas Green, Salford
Salford, M6 6ET
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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