Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School

Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School has faced significant challenges since its last inspection, leading to a decline in the quality of education and overall effectiveness, which is now assessed as requiring improvement. Despite being part of a Catholic Academy Trust, the school has struggled with leadership and staffing issues, which have impacted students' learning across various subjects. Although there have been initiatives to improve the curriculum and support for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the effectiveness of these measures varies significantly. The school recognizes the need for renewed efforts to address these deficiencies, particularly in early years and phonics education, to ensure students are well-prepared for future learning.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a welcoming environment and belonging to the school.
• The school provides a broad curriculum linked to the local context.
• Students with SEND receive timely and appropriate support.
• Pupils participate in various physical activities and competitive sports.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum gaps leave some pupils unprepared for future learning.
• Inconsistencies in the delivery of phonics hinder reading fluency.
• Some pupils lack pride in their work and positive attitudes to learning.
• Insufficient knowledge of fundamental British values among pupils.
• Recording and monitoring of safeguarding concerns are not joined-up.

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 Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.5% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Saint Mary's 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 Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School had 32.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 51.1% 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, 13.7% of pupils at Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.0% 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 Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School received £7,151 and spent £6,749 for each of its 189 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £390,000 (£2,069 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Academy Trust, income was £6,593 and spending £6,619 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 Congleton · Cheshire East local authority: places and applications

Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School is part of Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• Christ The King Catholic and Church of England Primary School Macclesfield
• All Hallows Catholic College Macclesfield
• St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Macclesfield
• St. Mary's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Middlewich
• St Vincent De Paul Catholic Primary School Knutsford
• St. Benedict's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Wilmslow
• St Paul's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Stockport
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Winsford
• St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Newport
• Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy Ellesmere Port

What is Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School have?

Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School has 183 pupils on roll.

What age range does Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School cover?

Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School?

Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School is at Belgrave Avenue, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 1HT.