St Catherine's RC Primary School, Manchester

Good
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~547m)Possible (~781m)Unlikely (~1.0km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Jessica Quiligotti
Pupils:426 / 420 capacity
LA:Manchester
Phone:01614456359
Address:School Lane, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6HS
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:105524
UKPRN:10070760
Diocese:Diocese of Salford
Constituency:Manchester Withington
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

St Catherine's is a caring school where pupils feel happy and supported. The school excels at teaching reading through expert phonics instruction and strong partnerships with parents. All pupils, including those with additional needs, are given high expectations and achieve well because staff know them exceptionally well.

Key Strengths

  • Strong focus on reading with effective phonics teaching and parental support
  • Ambitious, well-designed curriculum that includes careful consideration for pupils with SEND
  • Pupils show excellent behaviour and respect, with high expectations being met
  • Staff know pupils exceptionally well and provide effective support for additional needs
  • Pupils benefit from enriching activities and opportunities to develop talents and interests

Areas for Improvement

  • In one or two subjects, staff are not fully trained to implement the revised curriculum as intended, preventing some pupils from developing deep subject knowledge
  • Some subjects do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to revisit and embed essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary into long-term memory
  • Inconsistent assessment systems in recently revised curriculum areas

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open, positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

Cultural exchange visits to Spain, peripatetic music lessons, African drumming, school choir, school ambassadors, school councillors, charity fundraising

St Catherine's RC Primary School is a good primary school in Manchester where pupils enjoy learning and feel safe and cared for. The school has designed an ambitious curriculum and places strong emphasis on reading, with most pupils becoming fluent readers.

At a Glance

11.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+4ppMaths-9ppWriting+10pp

Reading has improved from 72% to 76%. Maths has declined from 76% to 67%. Writing has improved from 61% to 71%.

Class Sizes

21.5

Avg class size

27.2

Infant (KS1)

27.8

KS2

16

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Latest from St Catherine's RC Primary School

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Getting There

Train Stations

Burnage Rail Station
697m · 11 min walk

Tube / Metro / Tram

Didsbury Village (Manchester Metrolink) (To East Didsbury)
393m · 6 min walk
East Didsbury (Manchester Metrolink) (Entrance)
550m · 9 min walk

Bus Stops

Kingsfield Drive (nr)
87m · 1 min walk
School Lane (adj)
143m · 2 min walk
Catterick Road (nr)
183m · 3 min walk
Barlow High School (o/s)
210m · 3 min walk
Willow Way (opp)
239m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

101%

Over capacity

426 pupils

420 capacity

6 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Manchester

Low pressure
New homes approved:18,398
Projected new pupils:4,600

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Manchester

Admissions Demand - Manchester

Low demand0.77x oversubscription

Places available

7,395

Applications

5,691

Got 1st preference

97.3%

Got preferred school

99.5%

Primary admissions across Manchester (2025/26)

Inspection History(105)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

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Teachers & Staff

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School Funding

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.97982%

Overall absence

9.06433%

Persistent absence

342

Enrolments

Authorised2.82377%
Unauthorised1.15605%
Persistent (10%+)9.06433%
Severe (50%+)0.2924%

Absence trend

3.01384%
18/19
2.28487%
20/21
5.19983%
21/22
4.69045%
22/23
4.48173%
23/24
3.97982%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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