St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston is a small Catholic primary and part of the Mater Christi multi-academy trust. This was its first inspection since becoming an academy in February 2023. The school is performing well overall: safeguarding is effective, and early years, inclusion and personal development and wellbeing are particular strengths. Most other areas, including achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, and leadership and governance, are secure and meeting expectations. Pupils are proud of their school, behave well, feel safe and valued, and attendance is consistently above the national average. Notable strengths include the well-structured early years curriculum, especially communication, language and reading; highly effective inclusion and support for pupils with SEND or disadvantaged backgrounds; and a rich personal development programme. Reading is a significant area of strength, and leaders have a secure understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. Outcomes at the end of key stage 2 are generally close to or above national averages, and disadvantaged pupils' reading is above average. However, there are areas to improve. Some pupils do not consistently show accurate handwriting, spelling and punctuation across subjects, and some teachers do not precisely identify and remedy these basic errors. Behaviour is generally calm and respectful, but a few pupils sometimes distract others in lessons and some staff do not consistently apply behaviour expectations. Published data also show disadvantaged pupils' combined reading, writing and mathematics and mathematics outcomes below national non-disadvantaged averages, though small cohorts and leaders' positive support work are relevant context. The school also uses two alternative provisions, one of which is unregistered.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met.
• Early years curriculum is well structured, imaginative and focused on essential knowledge.
• Strong focus on communication and language from the youngest children.
• Highly effective inclusion and support for pupils with SEND.
• Disadvantaged pupils are identified early and supported well.
• Personal development and wellbeing programme is comprehensive and highly effective.
• Pupils develop respect for diversity and fundamental British values.
• Reading is a significant area of strength.
• Pupils achieve well and are prepared for the next stage of education.
• Attendance is consistently above national average and persistent absence has reduced significantly.
• The school environment is generally calm and respectful.
• Bullying and discrimination are rare and addressed swiftly when they occur.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of strengths and areas for improvement.
• Effective use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils.
• Staff feel supported with workload and wellbeing.
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs, trips and experiences.
• Strong, supportive relationships between pupils and staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not consistently demonstrate accurate spelling, punctuation and handwriting across subjects.
• Some teachers lack precision in identifying and remedying basic errors in pupils' knowledge and skills.
• Some pupils distract others in lessons when they are not fully focused.
• Some staff do not routinely tackle off-task or distracting behaviour well enough.
• Behaviour expectations are not consistently applied in all lessons.
• Published data show disadvantaged pupils' combined reading, writing and mathematics and mathematics outcomes below national non-disadvantaged 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 Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston attended 96.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 1.8% 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, Ulverston 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, Ulverston had 28.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.2% 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, 5.8% of pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.7% 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 Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston received £6,792 and spent £6,371 for each of its 159 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £227,000 (£1,434 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of Mater Christi Multi-Academy Trust, income was £8,234 and spending £8,275 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 Ulverston · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston is part of Mater Christi Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:

• Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Dalton-In-Furness Dalton-In-Furness
• St Bernards Catholic High School, Barrow Barrow-In-Furness
• St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Barrow Barrow-In-Furness
• Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Barrow Barrow-In-Furness
• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Carnforth Carnforth
• St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Windermere Windermere
• St Josephs Catholic Primary School, Lancaster Lancaster
• Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School, Kendal Kendal
• St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Workington Workington
• St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Penrith Penrith

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

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

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

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

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

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston has 155 pupils on roll.

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

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

What are St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston'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, Ulverston?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston is at Springfield Road, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0EA.