St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Horsforth has been graded as outstanding across all aspects of its provision in its first inspection since becoming an academy. The school has demonstrated remarkable success in creating a happy, safe, and caring environment where pupils feel valued and achieve very well. Notably, the school excels in supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring they receive exceptional help tailored to their needs. With high expectations for both behaviour and academic performance, the dedicated staff foster an engaging and ambitious curriculum that enriches the learning experience for all students.

Strengths

• Exceptional support for pupils with SEND.
• High expectations from teachers leading to impressive pupil achievement.
• Engaging and ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge logically.
• Outstanding early years provision promoting language and communication.
• Strong relationships between pupils and staff fostering a sense of belonging.
• Commitment to pupils' personal development and character building.

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 Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth attended 97.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 1.1% 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 Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth 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 Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth had 30.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 35.2% 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, 8.1% of pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% 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 St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth received £6,390 and spent £6,304 for each of its 211 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £34,000 (£163 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of The Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust, income was £6,980 and spending £7,208 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 Leeds · Leeds local authority: places and applications

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth is part of The Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:

• Holy Name Catholic Voluntary Academy Leeds
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Pudsey
• Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Leeds
• St. Mary's Menston, a Catholic Voluntary Academy Ilkley
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Otley Otley
• The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Ilkley
• St John Fisher Catholic Academy Harrogate
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Harrogate, A Voluntary Academy Harrogate
• St Robert's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Harrogate
• St Mary's Primary School Knaresborough, A Voluntary Catholic Academy Knaresborough

What is St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth have?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth has 210 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth cover?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth is at Broadgate Lane, Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS18 5AB.