St Fidelis Catholic Primary School, Erith
St Fidelis Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Erith. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 12 schools in Erith with published results, and 1,757th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 102% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bexley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Fidelis Catholic Primary School in detail
St Fidelis Catholic Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "St Fidelis is built around our mission of compassion, challenge and excellence. We believe that our children are special and that this comes from the way we work in partnership- parents, parish and school- to achieve our joint mission to bring our children to Christ through education."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include Lego and cooking.
The school runs a breakfast club, from £7.50 per session.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 95% of Year 6 pupils at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Bexley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (88% in reading, 95% in maths).
Getting a place at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 70 families put St Fidelis Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 168 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 13 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Fidelis Catholic Primary School are Lime Wood Primary School (0.3 miles); Northumberland Heath Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 76% reading, 77% maths); Christ Church (Erith) CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 74% reading, 74% maths); and Barnehurst Infant School (0.6 miles, Outstanding).
St Fidelis Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Lime Wood Primary SchoolNorthumberland Heath Primary SchoolChrist Church (Erith) CofE Primary SchoolBarnehurst Infant School
Who goes there
59.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (69%), Mixed (11%) and White British (7%).
In 2026, 101 pupils (22%) received SEN support and 26 (5.7%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
St Fidelis Catholic Primary School had 28 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 Erith Rail Station, about 960 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Carlton Road / Bexley Road (->w), 40 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Fidelis Catholic Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Fidelis Catholic Primary School are Leigh Academy Bexley (0.3 miles); and Trinity Church of England School, Belvedere (0.6 miles).
Leigh Academy BexleyTrinity Church of England School, Belvedere
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils love attending this school. They flourish and thrive here. The school's values of compassion, challenge and excellence are deeply embedded in school life. Staff show great care and commitment to pupils at the school. Pupils can talk to one of their 'favourite five' trusted adults if they are worried about anything.
Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), excel in their learning. Outcomes in the Year 6 national assessments are well above average. Pupils also achieve very well across the wider curriculum, for example in art, music and sports.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has created a rich and ambitious curriculum. Leaders have carefully chosen what subject content pupils should learn and in what order. This means that pupils build their knowledge, make connections in their learning and apply their understanding with increasing confidence. For example, in music, pupils learn a broad range of composition, performance and evaluation skills through pulse and rhythm in Reception and Year 1. This enables pupils to confidently deepen their musical understanding and play instruments such as keyboards and drums. In Latin, pupils learn the present tense in Year 3, the past tense in Year 4 and then the interchange between past and present tenses in Year 5 confidently. The school makes sure that pupils develop high levels of digital knowledge and skills across the curriculum.
Reading is a big priority at the school. Stories, rhymes and songs bring high-quality texts to life in Nursery. Children learn formal phonics from the start of Reception. Pupils, including the lowest readers, develop strong reading skills. The books that pupils read match the sounds they are learning in class. Children who need help are identified quickly and supported effectively. As a result of high-quality training, staff demonstrate strong subject knowledge and deliver the phonics programme well. Pupils of all ages enjoy reading.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
24.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 88% to 95% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 95% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 90% to 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.4
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
31.1
KS2
16
Total classes
6 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Fidelis Catholic Primary School
Newsletters - 24th September 2026
24 Sep 2026
Newsletters - 18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Newsletters - 10th September 2026
10 Sep 2026
Newsletters - 4th September 2026
4 Sep 2026
Newsletters - 20th July 2026
20 Jul 2026
Newsletters - 14th July 2026
14 Jul 2026
From St Fidelis Catholic Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Fidelis Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
St Fidelis Catholic Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Bexley
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Fidelis Catholic Primary School.
- SmileyArk Kids St. FidelisAt the school · Not yet graded
- Progressions Tuition Centre670m away · Not yet graded
- Jacqueline's Gems @ Christ Church690m away · Not yet graded
- Kumon Erith Ltd820m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Fidelis Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Fidelis Catholic Primary School is in Bexley; for families living there:
Apply to Bexley for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 31
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 27 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 Bexley is 28.5 (the median across 92 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 Fidelis Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Fidelis Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Fidelis Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Fidelis Catholic Primary School.
- Bexley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Fidelis Catholic Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bexley 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
102%
Over capacity
430 pupils
420 places
10 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Erith
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Erith
Across Bexley council
Places available
3,221
Applications
2,637
Got 1st preference
91.4%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Bexley council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
101
SEN Support
26
EHC Plans
27.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
459
Total Pupils
231
Boys
228
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
28
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,471
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,773
Per pupil
£2751k
Total funding
£170k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.9%
Overall absence
4.7%
Persistent absence
383
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 Fidelis Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Fidelis Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 95% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is St Fidelis Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Fidelis Catholic Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Fidelis Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Fidelis Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Bexley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School?
St Fidelis Catholic Primary School was full in 2025, at 102% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School average 28.4 pupils (2025/26). 6 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Fidelis Catholic Primary School?
St Fidelis Catholic Primary School has around 459 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School?
2.9% of sessions were missed at St Fidelis Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 4.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Fidelis Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Bexley's coordinated admissions process, naming St Fidelis Catholic Primary School 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 Fidelis Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Fidelis Catholic Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: SmileyArk Kids St. Fidelis (registered, not yet graded). There are 3 more within a kilometre.
How many road collisions happen near St Fidelis Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 27 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Bexley is 28.5 (the median across 92 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Fidelis Catholic Primary School?
St Fidelis Catholic Primary School is at Bexley Road, Erith, Kent, DA8 3HQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)