St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School, Preston
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Preston. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 77th-highest of the 106 schools in Preston with published results, and 10,597th of 14,452 across England. It was 83% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School in detail
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "As a Catholic School, we are constantly looking to Jesus, the Son, for inspiration and guidance. As such, we have created a St Mary's & St Benedict's list of monthly Gospel Values ."
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of our whole community I would like to offer you a warm welcome to St Mary's and St Benedict's Catholic Primary School."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 67% in reading and 51% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 62 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School are Walton-le-Dale Community Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 77% reading, 74% maths); Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge (0.4 miles, Good, 83% reading, 80% maths); Bamber Bridge St Aidan's Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, 45% reading, 25% maths); and Lostock Hall Community Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 78% reading, 92% maths).
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Walton-le-Dale Community Primary SchoolCuerden Church School, Bamber BridgeBamber Bridge St Aidan's Church of England Primary SchoolLostock Hall Community Primary School
What parents say
27 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School (as of September 2025): 56% would recommend the school, 67% say their child is happy there and 31% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (31%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bamber Bridge Rail Station, about 520 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Marys Church (outside), 150 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School issued 18 suspensions, 6.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School are Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School (0.2 miles), Walton-Le-Dale High School (0.6 miles) and Lostock Hall Academy (0.7 miles).
Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High SchoolWalton-Le-Dale High SchoolLostock Hall Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a caring school where children quickly settle in and build strong relationships with staff. Teachers have high expectations and are working through a more ambitious curriculum to help pupils achieve more. The school also provides plenty of opportunities beyond lessons, such as leadership roles and enrichment activities, helping children develop their talents and interests.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils, making children feel safe and cared for
- Good behaviour and attendance across the school
- Well-developed early years provision with children well-prepared for Year 1
- Effective support for pupils with SEND
- Ambitious curriculum now in place in most subjects
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers do not identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge effectively, so some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready
- Curriculum planning is incomplete in some subjects, limiting pupils' knowledge building
- Some pupils do not receive precise enough reading support when they fall behind with phonics
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, eco council, chaplaincy team, trips, visiting speakers (e.g. local MP)
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School is a happy, calm school where pupils behave well and feel safe, but the quality of education requires improvement due to gaps in curriculum planning and inconsistent support for struggling learners.
At a Glance
31.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
27 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 67% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 51% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 67% to 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.4
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
26.8
KS2
9
Total classes
3 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 Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School
Term dates
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lancashire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 32
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 14
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 32 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 14 serious and 17 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 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's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lancashire 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
83%
Available places
262 pupils
315 places
53 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Preston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Preston
Across Lancashire council
Places available
15,442
Applications
12,122
Got 1st preference
91.3%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
16.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
251
Total Pupils
138
Boys
113
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
19.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,310
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,530
Per pupil
£1652k
Total funding
£105k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
13.0%
Persistent absence
247
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's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School?
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School average 24.4 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School?
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School has around 251 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 13% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 32 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 14 serious and 17 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School?
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School is at Brownedge Lane, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancashire, PR5 6TA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)