The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy

The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy is performing well, achieving a good overall effectiveness rating during its most recent inspection. Pupils at the school are enthusiastic learners who engage with the curriculum and show a high degree of respect for one another. The school's well-organized curriculum supports students in making connections with past knowledge, and there is a strong emphasis on literacy and reading, with dedicated efforts in phonics instruction. The school demonstrates commitment to inclusivity and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), helping them achieve well in class.

Strengths

• Pupils are enthusiastic and confident learners.
• The curriculum is well-organized and designed to build on prior learning.
• Teachers are passionate about developing a love of reading.
• Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes towards learning.
• Staff adapt the curriculum effectively to support pupils with SEND.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils in key stage 2 are not reading well enough.
• Expectations for some pupils are not high enough, leading to unequal access to the curriculum.
• Occasionally, teachers do not check quickly enough if pupils are ready for more challenging work.
• Records for behaviour and safeguarding are disorganized, impacting efficiency.

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 The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.4% 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, 2.6% of pupils at The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy 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 The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy had 20.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.4% 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, 19.8% of pupils at The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.0% 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 2024–25 The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy received £7,061 and spent £7,894 for each of its 195 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £225,000 (-£1,156 per pupil).

Across all 25 schools of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,472 and spending £7,889 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Nottingham · Nottinghamshire local authority: places and applications

The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy is part of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 25 schools. The nearest others:

• St Thomas Catholic Voluntary Academy Ilkeston
• Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy Ilkeston
• Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy Alfreton
• English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy Nottingham
• St Elizabeth's Catholic Voluntary Academy Belper
• St Alban's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby

What is The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy have?

The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy has 192 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy cover?

The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy?

The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Raglan Street, Hill Top, Eastwood, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG16 3GT.