St Patrick's Catholic Primary School

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School is a larger-than-average Catholic primary in Romford that has recently had a change of headteacher and a newly appointed deputy head. This full section 5 inspection found safeguarding standards met and the school meeting expected standards overall, with personal development and wellbeing standing out as a strong area of practice. Pupils are described as known, safe and valued in an inclusive, caring community, and parents and staff speak highly of leaders. Pupils achieve broadly in line with national expectations, with reading a notable strength and disadvantaged pupils performing above non-disadvantaged peers nationally in reading, mathematics and grammar, punctuation and spelling. Behaviour and attendance are positive, supported by consistent routines and effective work with families. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, and recent work on writing and phonics is having a positive impact, including in early years. Inclusion is well supported through The Hub and strong early identification, though leaders are still refining provision for older pupils with SEND as they prepare for secondary school. Leaders and governors have high expectations and are well regarded by staff and parents. The main areas for further development are ensuring early years activities are consistently ambitious, embedding the school's teaching and learning principles across all subjects and year groups, and using the assess, plan, do, review model consistently so internal SEND provision is adapted promptly. Overall, this is a school that is performing well, with a strong caring ethos and clear capacity for continued improvement.

Strengths

• Strong personal development and wellbeing programme.
• Pupils learn how to stay safe, build respectful relationships and understand consent.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Well-embedded pupil leadership roles, including mini-Vinnies, prefects and reading ambassadors.
• Pupils have a secure grasp of fundamental British values.
• Reading outcomes are particularly strong at key stage 2.
• Disadvantaged pupils outperform non-disadvantaged peers nationally in reading, mathematics and EGPS.
• Phonics teaching has improved through refreshed training and greater consistency.
• Attendance is improving, especially for pupils with SEND.
• Behaviour is consistently positive and the school environment is calm and orderly.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and carefully sequenced.
• Writing provision is improving, including in Reception.
• Early years has a strong focus on communication, language, early mathematics and reading.
• Inclusion support, including The Hub, helps pupils develop confidence and independence.
• Leadership, governance and staff development are effective, and parents and staff are highly positive.

Areas for Improvement

• Some early years activities lack ambition to build securely on prior learning or address children's precise next steps.
• Teaching and learning principles are not yet used consistently across all subjects and year groups.
• The assess, plan, do, review model is not used consistently enough to adapt internal SEND provision promptly.
• Provision for some older pupils with SEND needs more thought as they grow older and prepare for secondary transition.
• Phonics outcomes have historically been weaker, though recent action is improving them.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Patrick's Catholic Primary School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.5% of pupils at St Patrick's Catholic Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Patrick's Catholic Primary School had 21.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 24.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 10.1% of pupils at St Patrick's Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 St Patrick's Catholic Primary School received £7,251 and spent £7,171 for each of its 396 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £185,000 (£468 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Havering · Havering local authority: places and applications

What is St Patrick's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Patrick's Catholic Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was St Patrick's Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does St Patrick's Catholic Primary School have?

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School has 396 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Patrick's Catholic Primary School cover?

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Patrick's Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Patrick's Catholic Primary School?

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School is at Lowshoe Lane, Collier Row, Romford, Essex, RM5 2AP.