St Nicholas Catholic Primary School

St Nicholas Catholic Primary School has transitioned from its previous outstanding rating to a current overall effectiveness of good after 13 years since its last inspection. The school is dedicated to fostering a Christian environment where pupils respect each other's differences and feel safe. While pupils enjoy their time at school and demonstrate positive behaviours, there are concerns regarding the consistency of phonics teaching and the depth of understanding of British values among pupils. The school has been proactive in engaging the community and supporting children's well-being.

Strengths

• Pupils understand and embody the school’s Christian vision.
• Strong curriculum planning prepares pupils well for future learning.
• Pupils enjoy reading and participate in activities that promote a love for books.
• Staff support leaders' ambitions for high pupil achievement.
• Effective arrangements for safeguarding are in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in phonics teaching among newer staff.
• Targets in individual learning plans for SEND pupils lack specific detail.
• Insufficient coverage of British values and other faiths in the personal development curriculum.

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 Nicholas Catholic Primary School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.1% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were 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 Nicholas Catholic Primary School had 20.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.5% 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, 19.2% of pupils at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% 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 Nicholas Catholic Primary School received £6,912 and spent £6,842 for each of its 313 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £179,000 (£571 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

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

The latest Ofsted rating for St Nicholas Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was St Nicholas Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Nicholas Catholic Primary School was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does St Nicholas Catholic Primary School have?

St Nicholas Catholic Primary School has 313 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Nicholas Catholic Primary School cover?

St Nicholas Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Nicholas Catholic Primary School?

St Nicholas Catholic Primary School is at Oakwood Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 6QY.