Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy, Burton-on-Trent
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Burton-on-Trent, part of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 20th-highest of the 23 schools in Burton-on-Trent with published results, and 12,897th of 14,452 across England. It was 77% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Staffordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 60% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 77% in Staffordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 70% in reading and 44% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 20 families put Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 21 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy are Holy Trinity CofE (C) Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 59% reading, 56% maths); Tower View Primary School (0.6 miles); Winshill Village Primary and Nursery School (0.8 miles, Good, 56% reading, 68% maths); and The Violet Way Academy (1 mile, Good).
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Holy Trinity CofE (C) Primary SchoolTower View Primary SchoolWinshill Village Primary and Nursery SchoolThe Violet Way Academy
The trust
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 25 schools run by St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 25 schools in St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 75% would recommend the school, 75% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (83%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (58%).
Who goes there
37.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (51%), Mixed (12%) and Black (10%).
In 2026, 22 pupils (12.3%) received SEN support and 3 (1.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.
Staffing
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Burton-on-Trent Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rosemount Road (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 161 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy issued 3 suspensions, 1.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy are Abbot Beyne School (0.1 miles), Paulet High School (1.1 miles) and Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy (1.3 miles).
Abbot Beyne SchoolPaulet High SchoolBlessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Holy Rosary excels at building happy, confident pupils through its 'loving hearts and strong minds' approach. Reading is prioritised from day one, with excellent support for those who need it. The school creates an inclusive environment where every pupil, including those with additional needs, thrives both academically and personally.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with effective early identification and support for struggling readers
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND, ensuring they follow an inclusive curriculum and achieve well
- Consistent behaviour management through the 'Holy Rosary Way' creating a calm, purposeful environment
- High attendance rates with effective early intervention systems
- Well-developed personal development opportunities integrated throughout the curriculum
Areas for Improvement
- Work given to pupils is not always matched well enough to their individual needs, causing some to lose focus
- Pupils do not have enough consistent opportunities to discuss and rehearse their learning, limiting long-term retention
- Need to ensure all teachers consistently facilitate appropriate discussion of subject content
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Football, choir, crochet, 'Character Buddies' programme, 'Messengers' community role, 'Earth Friends' environmental programme, after-school clubs
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school where pupils and staff are happy and proud to attend. The school has high expectations for all pupils and has improved from its previous 'Requires improvement' rating to achieve a 'Good' grade across all areas.
At a Glance
20.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 70% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 44% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
19.0
Avg class size
24.3
Infant (KS1)
22.0
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy
Term dates
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Staffordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- Staffordshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Staffordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
77%
Available places
168 pupils
217 places
49 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Burton-on-Trent
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Burton-on-Trent
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
10,768
Applications
8,344
Got 1st preference
95.1%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
22
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
14.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
179
Total Pupils
82
Boys
97
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
16.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,932
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,530
Per pupil
£988k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
12.4%
Persistent absence
153
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 60% reached the expected standard in reading and 60% did so in maths.
What is Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Staffordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 77% of its 217 places.
How big are the classes at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy average 19 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 179 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 12.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Alexandra Road, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE15 0JE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)