St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is an academy converter in Burnley for pupils aged 4 to 11. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It has 197 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in May 2021 of its predecessor, St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Burnley. In 2025, 43% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Suspensions are common here, with 7.1 in every 100 pupils suspended at least once in 2024/25 (nationally, 1.1). It has fewer teachers for its size than most primary schools: 30.8 pupils for each teacher in 2025/26, against 20.7 nationally.
Ofsted inspection: December 2023. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 4-11 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Holcombe Drive Burnley Lancashire BB10 4BH |
| Phone | 01282427546 |
| Reference Number | 150081 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 197 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 55.84%
Girls: 44.16% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 46.7% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 21.8% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 28.1 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 26 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 29.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 13 | 28 |
| 2 | 17 | 12 | 29 |
| 3 | 11 | 18 | 29 |
| 4 | 18 | 10 | 28 |
| 5 | 17 | 13 | 30 |
| 6 | 16 | 16 | 32 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 63.5% |
| White, Other | 12.7% |
| African | 7.6% |
| White & Asian | 4.1% |
| Pakistani | 2% |
| Asian, Other | 2% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.5% |
| Indian | 1% |
| White & Black (African) | 1% |
| Irish | 1% |
| Chinese | 0.5% |
This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Burnley, inspected in May 2021.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Requires Improvement |
| Last Report Date | This school has not had an inspection yet. |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 06 Dec 2023 | Academy conversion letter |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 43% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 0% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 102 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 100 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
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See how St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Reception admissions, 2026 entry
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 23 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 28 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy had 210 pupils for 210 places. Every place was filled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Burnley/South Burnley Primary” planning area
Lancashire counted 335 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 305 in 2029–30, down 9%.
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Places | 210 | 210 |
| Pupils | 209 | 210 |
| Unfilled | 0.5% | 0.0% |
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 RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 5.8% | 5.5% |
| Unauthorised absence | 1.3% | 1.4% |
| Severely absent pupils | 1.1% | 1.6% |
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, 7.1% of pupils at St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 23.8 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 |
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 RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy had 30.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 42.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 9.7 | 9.5 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 28.6% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 50.0% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 2.0 | – |
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, 18.8% of pupils at St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 16 | 4 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 10 | 0 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 4 | 2 |
| Physical disability | 4 | 0 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 0 | 3 |
| Hearing impairment | 1 | 0 |
| Multi-sensory impairment | 1 | 0 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 1 | 0 |
| Severe learning difficulty | 0 | 1 |
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 RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy received £6,421 and spent £6,823 for each of its 210 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £266,000 (£1,265 per pupil).
Across all 16 schools of Romero Catholic Academy Trust, income was £8,388 and spending £8,280 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £266,000 |
| per pupil | £1,265 |
| In-year balance | -£85,000 |
| per pupil | -£403 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Burnley St Peter's Church of England Primary School
Church Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 2DL |
0.37 miles |
|
Burnley Springfield Community Primary School
Oxford Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 3HP |
0.57 miles |
|
Burnley Brunshaw Primary School
Morse Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 4PB |
0.64 miles |
|
Burnley St Stephen's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Woodgrove Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 3EJ |
0.67 miles |
|
Heasandford Primary School
Williams Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 3DA |
0.67 miles |
|
Basnett Street Nursery School
Basnett Street, Burnley, BB10 3ES |
0.72 miles |
|
Rawdhatul Uloom
Jamia Masjid-E-Farooq-Azam, North Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 1LU |
0.74 miles |
|
Rockwood Nursery School
Kingsland Road, Burnley, BB11 3PU |
0.86 miles |
|
Stoneyholme Nursery School
March Street, BURNLEY, BB12 0BU |
0.88 miles |
|
Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School
Oswald Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 0BN |
0.92 miles |
|
Barden Primary School
Burnley Campus, Barden Lane, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 1JD |
1.08 miles |
|
Reedley Hallows Nursery School
Burnley Campus, Burnley, BB10 1JD |
1.08 miles |
|
Holly Grove School
Burnley Campus, Barden Lane, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 1JD |
1.08 miles |
|
Burnley Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School
Raglan Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 4LB |
1.11 miles |
|
Rosewood Primary School
Rosewood Avenue, Rosewood Primary School, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 2PH |
1.23 miles |
|
St James' Lanehead Church of England Primary School
Briercliffe Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 2NH |
1.37 miles |
|
Christ The King Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Calderbrook Avenue, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 4RB |
1.38 miles |
|
Taywood Nursery School
Accrington Road, Burnley, BB11 5AE |
1.4 miles |
|
St John the Baptist RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Thames Avenue, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 2PZ |
1.42 miles |
|
Wellfield Methodist and Anglican Church School
Wellfield Drive, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 0JD |
1.44 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy
Ormerod Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 3AA |
0.17 miles |
|
Olive High
Shorey Bank, Burnley, BB11 2RY |
0.38 miles |
|
Olive High Boys
Ormerod Road (Entrance Via Shorey Bank), Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 2RU |
0.41 miles |
|
Unity College
Townley Holmes, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 3DF |
0.69 miles |
|
Burnley College
Princess Way, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 0AN |
0.83 miles |
|
Lincoln House School
25-27 Clifton Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 0QZ |
0.9 miles |
|
Ridgewood Community High School
Eastern Avenue, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 2AT |
0.92 miles |
|
Sir John Thursby Community College
Eastern Avenue, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 2AT |
0.97 miles |
|
Compass Community School Lancashire
Bend Hill Farm, Granville Street, Briercliffe, Burnley, BB10 2RA |
1.53 miles |
|
The Rose School
Greenock Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 4DT |
1.53 miles |
|
Silver Birch School
Briercliffe Road, Harle Syke, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 2HA |
1.63 miles |
|
Broadfield Specialist School
Coal Clough Lane, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 5BT |
1.72 miles |
|
Holdsworth School
Park Hill, Padiham Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 6TG |
2.31 miles |
|
Marsden Heights Community College
Edge End Lane, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0PR |
2.48 miles |
|
Burnley High School
Byron Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 6NX |
2.6 miles |
|
Shuttleworth College
Burnley Road, Padiham, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 8ST |
2.87 miles |
|
Edenfield Girls' High School
Brunswick Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0PQ |
3.04 miles |
|
Rosa House School
Bronte Farm, Halifax Road, Briercliffe, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 3RB |
3.33 miles |
|
Moorlands View School
Manchester Road, Dunnockshaw, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 5PQ |
3.53 miles |
|
East Lancashire Learning Group
Scotland Road, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 7YT |
3.66 miles |
All schools in Burnley · Lancashire local authority: places and applications
St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is part of Romero Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:
- Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy Burnley
- Christ The King Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Burnley
- St John the Baptist RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Burnley
- St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Burnley
- St Augustine of Canterbury RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Burnley
- Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Nelson
- St John Southworth RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Nelson
- Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Colne
- St Anne's and St Joseph's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Accrington
- St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Bacup
What is St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in May 2021 of its predecessor, St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Burnley.
When was St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?
St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy was last inspected in December 2023.
How many pupils does St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have?
St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has 197 pupils on roll.
What age range does St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy cover?
St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.
What are St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 43% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is at Holcombe Drive, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 4BH.