Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy, Grantham
Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Grantham, part of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 28 schools in Grantham with published results, and 3,694th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- 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 Lincolnshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 86% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 71% in Lincolnshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 63% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 40 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 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 Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy are The Little Gonerby Church of England Primary Academy, Grantham (0.2 miles, Good); The Harrowby Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles, Requires improvement); St Wulfram's National Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 60% reading, 58% maths); and St Anne's Church of England Primary School, Grantham (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 70% maths).
Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
The Little Gonerby Church of England Primary Academy, GranthamThe Harrowby Church of England Primary SchoolSt Wulfram's National Church of England Primary SchoolSt Anne's Church of England Primary School, Grantham
The trust
Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 36 schools run by Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 36 schools in Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (92%).
Who goes there
44.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (45%), Asian (17%) and Mixed (9%).
In 2026, 40 pupils (21.9%) received SEN support and 11 (6%) 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 specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Grantham Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is End Of Sandon Close, 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 341 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lincolnshire (33), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy issued 5 suspensions, 2.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy are Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School (0.2 miles); The King's School, Grantham (0.5 miles); The Priory Ruskin Academy (0.8 miles); and West Grantham Church of England Secondary Academy (1.4 miles).
Kesteven and Grantham Girls' SchoolThe King's School, GranthamThe Priory Ruskin AcademyWest Grantham Church of England Secondary Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 agoThis judgement is from November 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Saint Mary's creates a warm, welcoming environment where children are happy and feel safe. The school excels in teaching reading through expert phonics instruction and has redesigned its curriculum to be ambitious and well-sequenced. Pupils develop strong character through leadership roles, community involvement and enrichment activities including sports and music.
Key Strengths
- Strong behaviour and pastoral support with pupils feeling safe and well-cared for
- Excellent phonics teaching and reading provision with expert staff and carefully matched books
- Well-designed, broad and ambitious curriculum that sets out clear learning progression
- Good early years provision with children developing independence and communication skills
- Strong school values and ethos, with pupils enjoying leadership roles and community involvement
Areas for Improvement
- Learning activities do not always allow pupils to think deeply enough about content, so knowledge is not readily recalled
- Teachers do not consistently check pupil understanding in lessons or adapt teaching to meet individual needs
- Pupils with SEND do not always have their learning adapted well enough for their specific needs
- Pupils have limited understanding of British values, protected characteristics and different faiths
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, agents of change, sports, music, clubs, trips, performances at local care home, lunchtime leader roles
Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is a welcoming primary school where pupils are happy, safe and behave well. However, the quality of education requires improvement as recent curriculum changes have not yet fully translated into better pupil achievement.
At a Glance
23.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
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 improved from 63% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 70% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 53% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.1
Avg class size
19.7
Infant (KS1)
31.0
KS2
7
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- Brightstars @ Harrowby590m away · Not yet graded
- Kip McGrath Education Centre Grantham770m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lincolnshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is in Lincolnshire; for families living there:
Apply to Lincolnshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
5 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 Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 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 Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lincolnshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lincolnshire 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
94%
Near capacity
197 pupils
210 places
13 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Grantham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Grantham
Across Lincolnshire council
Places available
8,940
Applications
6,453
Got 1st preference
96.3%
Got preferred school
99.7%
All primary applications across Lincolnshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
40
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
27.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
183
Total Pupils
83
Boys
100
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
20.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,767
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,733
Per pupil
£1264k
Total funding
£76k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
15.4%
Persistent absence
182
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
Questions parents ask about Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 86% did so in maths.
What is Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Lincolnshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy average 26.1 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 183 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
5.2% of sessions were missed at Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 15.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Lincolnshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Saint Mary's 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.
Does Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy: Brightstars @ Harrowby (590m away, registered, not yet graded) and Kip McGrath Education Centre Grantham (770m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 5 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 Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Saint Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Sandon Close, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 9AX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)