St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School, Oldbury
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Oldbury, part of Emmaus Catholic Multi Academy Company. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 17 schools in Oldbury with published results, and 6,591st of 14,452 across England. It was 87% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Sandwell (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 75% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 75% in Sandwell and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 70% in reading and 53% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 22 families put St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 58 named it as one of their preferences, for 23 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 St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School are Christ Church CofE Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 67% reading, 65% maths); Christ Church Church of England Primary School (under 0.1 miles); Rounds Green Primary School (0.7 miles, 65% reading, 65% maths); and Lyng Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 76% reading, 81% maths).
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolChrist Church Church of England Primary SchoolRounds Green Primary SchoolLyng Primary School
The trust
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School is one of 14 schools run by Emmaus Catholic Multi Academy Company, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
39 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School (as of September 2025): 87% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 86% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (97%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (80%).
Who goes there
40.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (46%), White British (20%) and Asian (13%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sandwell & Dudley Rail Station, about 470 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
17 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bridge Street (adjacent), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School issued 9 suspensions, 4.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School are West Bromwich Collegiate Academy (0.5 miles), Holly Lodge High School College of Science (1.1 miles), Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy (1.2 miles) and Shireland Biomedical Utc (1.3 miles).
West Bromwich Collegiate AcademyHolly Lodge High School College of ScienceOrmiston Sandwell Community AcademyShireland Biomedical Utc
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 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 really enjoy their learning at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School, and their attendance is high. Staff care for them very well and help them with their mental and physical health. Pupils know who to turn to if they have a problem. This helps them feel safe.
There are high expectations for what all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can achieve. Starting in the early years, learning builds on what pupils already know. It moves smoothly from one key stage to the next. Pupils learn to read quickly and fluently. Across the school, they learn well, in part because they find their work so interesting.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has tackled the issues raised at the last inspection strategically and with great enthusiasm. It has taken firm action to address those areas of the curriculum such as writing where outcomes were weak in 2023. The school has provided effective training for staff, including in the leadership of curriculum subjects. Everyone works together as a team, and there is a shared commitment to improving the school further. Staff, including teachers new to the profession, believe that leaders are considerate of their workload and always ready to listen to their views.
The school has taken effective steps to ensure reading is a very high priority. Pupils follow a structured phonics programme. They learn sounds and letters in a logical order. Staff consistently use the programme's resources. The school makes sure that pupils read frequently to an adult. Staff check on what each pupil knows and can do and track their reading skills in fine detail. Pupils who find reading more difficult are supported well to keep up with the pace of the phonics programme. Books for younger pupils are carefully matched to their phonics knowledge. Older pupils learn the different skills that make up reading. Across the school, pupils really enjoy reading and develop a personal taste in books.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded 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 Requires Improvement at its March 2022 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement), Personal development (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement), Early years (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
27.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
39 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 70% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 53% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.5
Avg class size
18.0
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School.
- SinglePoint Plus Wraparound Care280m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Sandwell's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School is in Sandwell; for families living there:
Apply to Sandwell for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 52
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 52 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 44 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
16 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 Sandwell is 26.5 (the median across 134 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 Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Sandwell, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School for 2016 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Sandwell 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
87%
Available places
183 pupils
210 places
27 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Oldbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Oldbury
Across Sandwell council
Places available
4,920
Applications
3,985
Got 1st preference
94.1%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Sandwell council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
20.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
188
Total Pupils
87
Boys
101
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
17.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,453
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,034
Per pupil
£1254k
Total funding
£80k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
7.9%
Persistent absence
177
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 Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Sandwell allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School?
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School average 25.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School?
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School has around 188 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School?
3.7% of sessions were missed at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 7.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Sandwell's coordinated admissions process, naming St Francis Xavier 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 Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School: SinglePoint Plus Wraparound Care (280m 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 Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 52 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 44 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 16 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 Sandwell is 26.5 (the median across 134 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School?
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School is at McKean Road, Oldbury, West Midlands, B69 4BA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)