St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy

St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy is a highly inclusive Catholic primary school in an area of high deprivation, with a much higher-than-average proportion of disadvantaged pupils. Leaders have created a caring, nurturing ethos where pupils feel safe, behave well and value their learning. Attendance has improved to broadly national averages. The school is particularly strong in inclusion: disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND receive effective academic and pastoral support, and disadvantaged pupils' outcomes in 2024/25 were above national averages for similar pupils. Historic published results in reading, writing and mathematics were below national averages, but leaders have redesigned the curriculum and improved teaching in these areas, leading to rapid progress for many pupils. Current assessment and pupils' work indicate standards are rising. Early years provision is effective, with children settling quickly and developing communication, phonics and early mathematics skills. Governance is strong, staff are well supported, and safeguarding requirements are met. The main priorities are to ensure the full curriculum is implemented consistently across all subjects and that staff consistently identify and close gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills as quickly as possible. Overall, this is a school meeting expected standards across all areas, with effective leadership and a strong inclusive culture, but with some refinement still needed in curriculum delivery and assessment follow-through.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive culture where all pupils are welcomed and supported.
• Strong pastoral care and wellbeing support for pupils and families.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve well; 2024/25 combined outcomes were above national averages for similar pupils.
• Pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers and receive effective tailored support.
• Effective early years provision helps children settle quickly and develop communication, phonics and early mathematics.
• Typically good behaviour and positive relationships create a calm, nurturing learning environment.
• Attendance has improved to broadly national averages through effective work with families.
• Leaders have designed and implemented a well-sequenced curriculum in several subjects.
• Improvements in reading, writing and mathematics teaching have had a rapid positive impact.
• Strong governance and trust support provide appropriate challenge and effective resource allocation.
• High-quality personal development programme develops confident, kind and responsible citizens.
• Wide range of extra-curricular activities, music, visits and pupil leadership roles broaden pupils' horizons.
• Staff value professional learning and leadership support for wellbeing and workload.
• Safeguarding culture is open and positive, with legal requirements met.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum implementation is not yet consistently effective across all subjects.
• Staff do not consistently revisit learning that pupils have not fully secured, so gaps are not always closed as quickly as possible.
• Historic published test results in reading, writing and mathematics were below national averages.

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 Maria Goretti Catholic Academy attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.1% 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, 1.8% of pupils at St Maria Goretti Catholic 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 St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy had 19.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.1% 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, 18.2% of pupils at St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.2% 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 Maria Goretti Catholic Academy received £7,179 and spent £7,136 for each of its 220 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £144,000 (£653 per pupil).

Across all 56 schools of St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,565 and spending £7,594 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 Stoke-On-Trent · Stoke-on-Trent local authority: places and applications

St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy is part of St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 64 schools. The nearest others:

• Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St George and St Martin's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Our Lady's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Thomas More Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Gregory's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Peter's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School Stoke-On-Trent
• St Marys Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Augustine's Catholic Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School Newcastle

What is St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy have?

St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy has 231 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy cover?

St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy?

St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy is at Aylesbury Road, Bentilee, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST2 0LY.