St Edward's Catholic Academy, Swadlincote
St Edward's Catholic Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Swadlincote, part of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 21st-highest of the 24 schools in Swadlincote with published results, and 13,133rd of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Derbyshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Edward's Catholic Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils at St Edward's Catholic Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 52% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Derbyshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 71% in reading and 58% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Edward's Catholic Academy
For September 2026 entry, 40 families put St Edward's Catholic Academy as their first choice and 58 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 10 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Edward's Catholic Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Edward's Catholic Academy are Springfield Junior School (0.1 miles, Good, 50% reading, 48% maths); Elmsleigh Infant & Nursery School (0.2 miles); Belmont Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 71% reading, 59% maths); and Eureka Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 61% reading, 61% maths).
St Edward's Catholic Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Springfield Junior SchoolElmsleigh Infant & Nursery SchoolBelmont Primary SchoolEureka Primary School
The trust
St Edward's Catholic 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
28 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Edward's Catholic Academy (as of September 2025): 86% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 31 pupils (12.5%) received SEN support and 6 (2.4%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St Edward's Catholic Academy.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Edwards School (adjacent), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 189 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Edward's Catholic Academy issued 3 suspensions, 1.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Edward's Catholic Academy are The Pingle Academy (0.2 miles), Mercia Academy (0.9 miles) and Granville Academy (1 mile).
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; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2019, 7 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Edward's creates a welcoming, caring environment where all pupils feel valued and safe. The school has a strong focus on teaching important character qualities like friendship and service, helping pupils grow as good people. With excellent teaching in early reading and strong support for all learners, including those with additional needs, most pupils achieve well and enjoy coming to school.
Key Strengths
- Strong caring culture with clear school values (True Mind, True Heart and True Spirit) that guide pupil behaviour and wellbeing
- Well-sequenced curriculum with high-quality books and interesting activities that engage pupils in their learning
- Effective phonics teaching in English, with strong support for early reading and pupils achieving well in spelling, grammar and handwriting
- Skilled staff who support pupils with SEND, breaking down concepts into manageable steps so they achieve well across the curriculum
- Positive pupil attitudes with studious classrooms where pupils concentrate well and respond appropriately to instructions
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects have new curricula still being embedded - pupils' longer-term recall and ability to connect ideas with prior knowledge needs strengthening
- Teachers do not always use assessment checks consistently to identify misunderstandings and plan appropriate next steps for pupils
- Too many pupils have poor attendance or arrive late, missing important learning and wider school experiences
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Play leader programmes (coaching peers in games like cricket), personal development programme covering world events and democratic processes
St Edward's Catholic Academy is a caring school where pupils are happy and safe, guided by a strong family ethos and school virtues. The school has maintained good standards and made positive improvements to its curriculum and teaching quality.
At a Glance
23.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
28 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 71% to 65% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 58% to 52% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
31.7
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Edward's Catholic Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Edward's Catholic Academy.
- KO Sports Football @ The Pingle Academy410m away · Not yet graded
- Soccerstars Holiday Camp @ Pingle Academy410m away · Not yet graded
- ClubsComplete at Belmont Primary School670m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Edward's Catholic Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Derbyshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Edward's Catholic Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Edward's Catholic Academy is in Derbyshire; for families living there:
- Derbyshire's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy 2026 to 2027 - 465KB
- How to apply: Apply for home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 11 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 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 St Edward's Catholic Academy
Will you get a place at St Edward's Catholic Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Edward's Catholic Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Edward's Catholic Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Edward's Catholic Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derbyshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Edward's Catholic Academy for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Derbyshire 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
103%
Over capacity
214 pupils
207 places
7 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Swadlincote
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Swadlincote
Across Derbyshire council
Places available
9,875
Applications
7,189
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Derbyshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
14.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
248
Total Pupils
125
Boys
123
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
22.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,897
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,346
Per pupil
£1288k
Total funding
£76k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.8%
Overall absence
13.9%
Persistent absence
187
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
St Edward's Catholic Academy
Questions parents ask about St Edward's Catholic Academy
What are SATs results like at St Edward's Catholic Academy?
Of the pupils at St Edward's Catholic Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 65% reached the expected standard in reading and 52% did so in maths.
What is St Edward's Catholic Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Edward's Catholic Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Edward's Catholic Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Edward's Catholic Academy is oversubscribed, Derbyshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Edward's Catholic Academy?
St Edward's Catholic Academy was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Edward's Catholic Academy?
Classes at St Edward's Catholic Academy average 29.6 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Edward's Catholic Academy?
St Edward's Catholic Academy has around 248 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Edward's Catholic Academy?
5.8% of sessions were missed at St Edward's Catholic Academy in 2024/25. 13.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Edward's Catholic Academy?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Edward's Catholic 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 St Edward's Catholic Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Edward's Catholic Academy: KO Sports Football @ The Pingle Academy (410m away, registered, not yet graded), Soccerstars Holiday Camp @ Pingle Academy (410m away, registered, not yet graded) and ClubsComplete at Belmont Primary School (670m 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 St Edward's Catholic Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 11 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Edward's Catholic Academy?
St Edward's Catholic Academy is at Newhall Road, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 0BD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)