St. Mary Cray Primary Academy, Orpington
St. Mary Cray Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Orpington, part of The Spring Partnership Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 21st-highest of the 23 schools in Orpington with published results, and 13,586th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 109% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- 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 Bromley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St. Mary Cray Primary Academy in detail
St. Mary Cray Primary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of all the staff and pupils here, I am incredibly proud to welcome you to St Mary Cray Primary Academy. St Mary Cray Primary Academy is a vibrant community school where every child is known, valued, and encouraged to flourish."
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026, an open evening on Wednesday 4 November 2026, an open evening on Tuesday 10 November 2026 and an open evening on Thursday 7 January 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Bromley
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils at St. Mary Cray Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 47% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 79% in Bromley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 72% in reading and 66% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St. Mary Cray Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 19 families put St. Mary Cray Primary Academy as their first choice and 83 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 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. Mary Cray Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St. Mary Cray Primary Academy are St Philomena's Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 96% reading, 93% maths); Harris Primary Academy Orpington (0.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 65% maths); Manor Oak Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 81% maths); and Poverest Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 77% reading, 74% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St. Mary Cray Primary Academy.
St Philomena's Primary SchoolHarris Primary Academy OrpingtonManor Oak Primary SchoolPoverest Primary School
The trust
St. Mary Cray Primary Academy is one of 5 schools run by The Spring Partnership Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
34.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 67 pupils (28.8%) received SEN support and 8 (3.4%) 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
The nearest railway station is St Mary Cray Rail Station, about 1010 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Reynolds Cross / Red Lion, 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 341 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Bromley (188), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St. Mary Cray Primary Academy issued 13 suspensions, 5.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St. Mary Cray Primary Academy are Harris Academy Orpington (0.8 miles) and St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School (1.5 miles).
Harris Academy OrpingtonSt Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School
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; 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from September 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2017 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
34.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 72% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 66% to 47% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 76% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.1
Avg class size
27.3
Infant (KS1)
30.2
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St. Mary Cray Primary Academy
Open Days 26-27
17 Jul 2026
PTA Event: Disney Theme Quiz Night - Friday 15th May
28 Apr 2026
Crazy Hair Day - Friday 20th March
5 Mar 2026
Wear Green to be Seen - Tuesday 24th March
5 Mar 2026
PTA Event - Live Wrestling Evening Friday 27th March
25 Feb 2026
Mother's Day Sale - 12th & 13th March
25 Feb 2026
From St. Mary Cray Primary Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St. Mary Cray Primary Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St. Mary Cray Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St. Mary Cray Primary Academy is in Bromley; for families living there:
Apply to Bromley for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 42
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 42 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 34 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 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 Bromley is 19 (the median across 119 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. Mary Cray Primary Academy
Will you get a place at St. Mary Cray Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St. Mary Cray Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St. Mary Cray Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St. Mary Cray Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bromley, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St. Mary Cray Primary Academy for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bromley 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
109%
Over capacity
229 pupils
210 places
19 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Orpington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Orpington
Across Bromley council
Places available
3,982
Applications
3,203
Got 1st preference
87.7%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Bromley council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
67
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
32.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
233
Total Pupils
112
Boys
121
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
19.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,450
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,608
Per pupil
£1668k
Total funding
£129k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
13.9%
Persistent absence
209
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. Mary Cray Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about St. Mary Cray Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at St. Mary Cray Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at St. Mary Cray Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 63% reached the expected standard in reading and 47% did so in maths.
What is St. Mary Cray Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St. Mary Cray Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St. Mary Cray Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St. Mary Cray Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Bromley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St. Mary Cray Primary Academy?
St. Mary Cray Primary Academy was full in 2025, at 109% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St. Mary Cray Primary Academy?
Classes at St. Mary Cray Primary Academy average 29.1 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St. Mary Cray Primary Academy?
St. Mary Cray Primary Academy has around 233 pupils on roll. 34% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St. Mary Cray Primary Academy?
4.3% of sessions were missed at St. Mary Cray Primary Academy in 2024/25. 13.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St. Mary Cray Primary Academy?
Apply through Bromley's coordinated admissions process, naming St. Mary Cray Primary 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.
How many road collisions happen near St. Mary Cray Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 42 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 34 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 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 Bromley is 19 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St. Mary Cray Primary Academy?
St. Mary Cray Primary Academy is at High Street, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent, BR5 4AR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)