St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School is performing well, with an overall effectiveness rated as good. The school has maintained this strong performance since its previous inspection in 2018, and it is noted for creating a welcoming environment where pupils feel safe and valued. With exemplary behavior and a high level of engagement in learning, pupils benefit from an ambitious curriculum that emphasizes success for all, including those with special educational needs. Additionally, the school's enrichment programs foster community involvement and personal development, contributing to a well-rounded educational experience for the students. Despite its strengths, there is a need to address some gaps in older pupils' mathematical vocabulary that affect their ability to understand and solve problems. Nevertheless, the leadership is dedicated to improving this aspect by prioritizing the development of subject-specific language in lessons. Overall, the school shows a commitment to continual improvement and high expectations for its students as it continues to adapt and respond to challenges, including the impacts of the pandemic.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit exemplary behavior and respect for one another.
• The school has a strong emphasis on reading, leading to high levels of literacy achievement.
• Teachers utilize high-quality resources and structured curriculum to reinforce learning.
• Exceptional provision for personal development, including a variety of enrichment activities.
• Strong leadership and management foster a collaborative team environment.

Areas for Improvement

• Some older pupils lack familiarity with mathematical vocabulary, hindering problem-solving skills.

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 Bernadette's Catholic Primary School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.3% 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 Bernadette'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 Bernadette's Catholic Primary School had 22.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 9.7% of pupils at St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 Bernadette's Catholic Primary School received £6,168 and spent £6,274 for each of its 225 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £147,000 (£654 per pupil).

Across all 38 schools of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, income was £7,521 and spending £7,443 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 Middlesbrough · Middlesbrough local authority: places and applications

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School is part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• St Augustine's Catholic Primary School Middlesbrough
• Saint Gabriel's Catholic Primary School Middlesbrough
• St Thomas More RC Primary School Middlesbrough
• St Pius X Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy Middlesbrough
• St Gerard's RC Primary School Middlesbrough
• Trinity Catholic College Middlesbrough
• Corpus Christi RC Primary School Middlesbrough
• St Margaret Clitherows RC Primary School Middlesbrough
• St Edward's Catholic Primary School Middlesbrough
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Middlesbrough

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

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

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

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School was last inspected in May 2024.

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

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School has 238 pupils on roll.

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

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School?

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School is at Cookgate, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, TS7 0PZ.