St Francis Xavier's Primary School
| Type | Primary / Voluntary aided school |
| Age Range | 4-11 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Venns Lane Hereford Herefordshire HR1 1DT |
| Phone | 01432273941 |
| Reference Number | 116884 |
St Francis Xavier's Primary School is a Roman Catholic primary school in Hereford, judged to be strong overall after a full section 5 inspection. Safeguarding standards are met. The school is particularly strong in attendance and behaviour, early years, and inclusion. Pupils behave exceptionally well, lessons are disruption-free, and attendance and persistent absence are consistently better than national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. Children in early years flourish in a language-rich environment and make rapid progress. Pupils achieve highly in reading, writing and mathematics and exceed national averages. The school has a highly inclusive ethos, with effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, and leaders, governors, and pastoral support are strengths. Personal development is bespoke and helps pupils become courteous, respectful, and community-minded. The main areas for development are the wider curriculum and some aspects of PSHE: pupils do not gain the same depth of knowledge in other subjects as they do in the core subjects, teaching is more variable across the wider curriculum, and pupils' knowledge in some PSHE areas, such as staying physically healthy, is less detailed. Leaders should continue to embed consistently highly effective teaching and ensure detailed knowledge across the wider curriculum. The school is smaller than average, with 214 pupils on roll, and has low proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and with EHC plans, though pupil premium numbers have recently increased to 7.48%. The headteacher took up her post since the last inspection, and the school has no alternative provision or resourced SEND provision. It is in the Archdiocese of Cardiff and had its last section 48 inspection in November 2023.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 215 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 46.51%
Girls: 53.49% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 7.4% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 52.6% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 30.8 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 30 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 31.7 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 15 | 30 |
| 2 | 14 | 16 | 30 |
| 3 | 12 | 19 | 31 |
| 4 | 12 | 20 | 32 |
| 5 | 13 | 19 | 32 |
| 6 | 19 | 11 | 30 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 43.7% |
| Indian | 32.1% |
| White, Other | 12.1% |
| African | 3.7% |
| White & Asian | 2.3% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.4% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.5% |
| Irish | 0.5% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Expected standard |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Strong standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Strong standard |
| > Early Years | Strong standard |
| Last Report Date | 14 Apr 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2026 | School inspection |
| 22 Sep 2021 | School inspection |
| 21 Jun 2018 | Short inspection |
| 16 Oct 2014 | Full inspection |
| 15 Jan 2013 | Interim assessment |
| 17 Jun 2010 | Full inspection |
| 13 Mar 2007 | Full inspection |
| 30 Sep 2002 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils behave exceptionally well and lessons are free from disruption.
- Attendance is consistently above national averages and persistent absence is consistently below.
- Children in early years flourish in a language-rich environment and make rapid progress.
- The school has a highly inclusive ethos and supports pupils with SEND effectively.
- Disadvantaged pupils achieve well and feel that they belong.
- Pupils achieve highly in reading, writing and mathematics, exceeding national averages.
- Phonics teaching is highly effective, with timely support for pupils who fall behind.
- Leadership and governance are effective, with leaders who know the school well.
- Staff benefit from a strong professional learning programme and considerate workload and wellbeing support.
- Parent partnerships are strong and feedback from parents is highly positive.
- Personal development is bespoke, and pupils are courteous, respectful and community-minded.
- Safeguarding standards are met, and bullying is extremely rare and addressed effectively.
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils do not gain the same depth of knowledge in the wider curriculum as they do in reading, writing and mathematics.
- Teaching is more variable across the wider curriculum.
- Pupils' knowledge in some personal, social, health and economic education areas, such as staying physically healthy, is less detailed.
- Leaders need to continue embedding teaching approaches to ensure consistently highly effective teaching across the school.
- Leaders and staff should ensure pupils develop detailed knowledge and understanding across the wider curriculum, including PSHE.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 81% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 13% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 107 | ||
| Maths | 107 |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 2.7 | ||
| Writing | 2.3 | ||
| Maths | 2.9 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 19 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 18 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
Unlock| Name | Distance |
|
Broadlands Primary School
Broadlands Lane, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1HY |
0.58 miles |
|
Holmer CofE Academy
Holmer Road, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR4 9RX |
0.66 miles |
|
St Thomas Cantilupe CofE Academy
Coningsby Street, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 2DY |
0.7 miles |
|
Lord Scudamore Primary Academy
Friar Street, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR4 0AS |
1.11 miles |
|
St James' Church of England Primary School
Vicarage Road, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 2QN |
1.3 miles |
|
Hampton Dene Primary School
Church Road, Tupsley, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1RT |
1.32 miles |
|
St Paul's CofE Primary School
Hampton Dene Road, Tupsley, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1UX |
1.37 miles |
|
Trinity Primary School
Barricombe Drive, Moor Farm, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR4 0NU |
1.49 miles |
|
St Martin's Primary School
Holly Bush Walk, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR2 6AF |
1.63 miles |
|
Riverside Primary School
Belmont Avenue, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR2 7JF |
1.66 miles |
|
Our Lady's RC Primary School
Boycott Road, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR2 7RN |
1.78 miles |
|
Blackmarston School
Honddu Close, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR2 7NX |
2.1 miles |
|
Marlbrook Primary School
Green Croft, Redhill, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR2 7NT |
2.15 miles |
|
Lugwardine Primary Academy
Barneby Avenue, Bartestree, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 4DH |
2.61 miles |
|
Sutton Primary Academy
Bayley Way, Sutton St Nicholas, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 3SZ |
2.93 miles |
|
Stretton Sugwas CofE Academy
Stretton Sugwas, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR4 7AE |
3.19 miles |
|
Withington Primary School
Lock Road, Withington, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 3QE |
3.31 miles |
|
Burghill Community Academy
Burghill, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR4 7RP |
3.67 miles |
|
Marden Primary Academy
Marden, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 3EW |
3.84 miles |
|
St Mary's CofE Primary School
Credenhill, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR4 7DW |
4.2 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Barrs Court School
Barrs Court Road, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1EQ |
0.51 miles |
|
The Beacon College
Eastnor Drive, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1NZ |
0.57 miles |
|
Hereford Sixth Form College
Folly Lane, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1LU |
0.58 miles |
|
Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College
Folly Lane, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1LS |
0.63 miles |
|
Aylestone School
Broadlands House, Broadlands Lane, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1HY |
0.69 miles |
|
Hereford College of Arts
Folly Lane, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1LT |
0.7 miles |
|
The Brookfield School
Grandstand Road, Hereford, HR4 9NG |
0.96 miles |
|
Hereford Cathedral School With A Junior School
Old Deanery, Hereford, HR1 2NG |
1.06 miles |
|
The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School
Hampton Dene Road, Tupsley, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1UU |
1.3 miles |
|
G.E.M Hereford
Trinity House, 31 Barricombe Drive, Hereford, HR4 0NU |
1.51 miles |
|
Whitecross Hereford
Three Elms Road, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR4 0RN |
1.59 miles |
|
St Mary's RC High School
Lugwardine, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 4DR |
2.09 miles |
|
The Hereford Church of England Academy
Marlbrook Road, Redhill, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR2 7NG |
2.33 miles |
|
Pathway Schools Limited
Impact House, Coldnose Road, Rotherwas, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR2 6JL |
2.57 miles |