St Mary's Catholic Primary School

St Mary's Catholic Primary School is a small Roman Catholic primary in Brewood, Staffordshire, and is part of St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust. This full Section 5 inspection found safeguarding standards met and a broadly very positive picture: pupils achieve highly, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, and outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are consistently above national averages. The early years is a particular strength, and pupils behave exceptionally well in a calm, inclusive and purposeful community. The school is well led, with decisive leadership during change, effective governance and strong trust support. Inclusion is embedded in everyday practice, attendance is managed proactively, and personal development and wellbeing are high quality. Staff feel well supported, and parents speak positively about the school. The main area for development is curriculum and teaching, which is not yet as strong as the rest of the school's work. Assessment is not always used consistently enough to spot mistakes and misconceptions quickly, and in a small number of subjects teaching does not secure the depth of knowledge intended. Leaders also need to ensure pupils sustain the highest possible rates of attendance over time.

Strengths

• Pupils make impressive progress and achieve above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND achieve particularly well from their starting points.
• Phonics outcomes and the Year 4 multiplication tables check are consistently above national averages.
• Early years is joyful, nurturing and expertly led, with children making excellent progress.
• Attendance is managed proactively, with rapid improvements for pupils who previously missed school frequently.
• Pupils behave exceptionally well, with clear routines, respectful relationships and purposeful classrooms.
• Bullying is very rare and unkind behaviour is dealt with quickly and fairly.
• Inclusion is woven into everyday practice, with early identification and highly effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Disadvantaged pupils benefit from purposeful use of pupil premium funding and enrichment opportunities.
• Leadership is clear, decisive and focused on pupils' best interests, including during periods of change.
• Governance and trust support are purposeful, effective and provide insightful challenge.
• Staff wellbeing is prioritised, with careful workload management and strong professional learning.
• Personal development is carefully sequenced and covers safety, relationships, British values and diversity.
• Pupils access rich enrichment and leadership roles that build confidence, teamwork and responsibility.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and pupils who feel safe.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment is not always used consistently to identify mistakes and misconceptions quickly.
• In a small number of subjects, teaching does not secure the depth of knowledge intended.
• Leaders should ensure pupils sustain the highest possible rates of attendance over time.

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 attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.1% 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 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 had 23.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 32.0% 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, 15.4% of pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% 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 St Mary's Catholic Primary School received £8,394 and spent £8,622 for each of its 79 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £78,000 (£990 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 Stafford · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

St Mary's Catholic Primary School is part of St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 64 schools. The nearest others:

• St Christopher's Catholic Primary Academy Wolverhampton
• St Anthony's Catholic Primary Academy Wolverhampton
• Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Academy Wolverhampton
• SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary Academy & Nursery Wolverhampton
• St Mary's Catholic Primary Academy Wolverhampton
• Cardinal Griffin Catholic College Cannock
• St Edmund's Catholic Academy Wolverhampton
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School Cannock
• St Patrick's Catholic Primary Academy Wolverhampton
• Corpus Christi Catholic Primary Academy Wolverhampton

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

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's Catholic Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

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

St Mary's Catholic Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

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

St Mary's Catholic Primary School has 91 pupils on roll.

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

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

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

In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary's Catholic Primary School?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School is at Wharf Lane, Brewood, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST19 9BG.