St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School is a caring, nurturing primary where pupils are happy, behave well and enjoy learning. This was its first routine section 5 inspection; it is a Catholic voluntary academy in the Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, and its predecessor school had previously been judged outstanding. Inspectors found the school good overall, with particularly strong personal development and early years provision. The curriculum is broad and balanced, reading is central, and pupils with SEND are identified and supported effectively. Staff know their subjects well, children in early years benefit from excellent provision, and pupils show positive attitudes and good attendance. Safeguarding is effective, and governance across the school and trust is strong. The main area for improvement is that some recent curriculum changes are not yet fully embedded, so pupils’ learning in those areas is not as deep as it could be. Behaviour is good overall, though some engagement strategies are less consistent and a few pupils need further direction to refocus.

Strengths

• Caring, nurturing ethos where pupils are happy and enjoy learning
• Positive pupil attitudes and calm, sensible behaviour in class and social times
• Broad and balanced curriculum from early years through Year 6
• Strong staff curriculum knowledge that sparks pupils’ desire to learn
• Pupils recall prior learning well and apply knowledge across subjects
• Superb early years provision with skilled staff and effective use of environment
• Reading is integral to school life, with well-used libraries and effective support
• Inclusive SEND support with quick identification and clear communication
• Exceptional personal development programme, including trips, clubs and community action
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Strong governance and trust collaboration focused on pupils’ interests

Areas for Improvement

• Some recent curriculum changes are not fully embedded, so learning is not as deep as it could be
• Some pupil engagement strategies are less embedded, and a few pupils need further direction to refocus

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 - a Catholic voluntary academy attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 2.2% 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, 1.9% of pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary 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 Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy had 27.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.9% 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, 8.0% of pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 - a Catholic voluntary academy received £6,584 and spent £7,094 for each of its 211 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £138,000 (£655 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 Malton · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy is part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy Pickering
• St Benedict's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy York
• St Aelred's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy York
• St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy York
• St George's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy York
• All Saints Catholic School York York
• Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy York
• St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy Whitby
• All Saints Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy Thirsk
• Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Saltburn-By-The-Sea

What is St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy is Good, from an inspection in October 2025.

When was St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy was last inspected in October 2025.

How many pupils does St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy have?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy has 225 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy cover?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy is at Highfield Road, Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 7DB.