St Mary's Catholic Academy, Leek
St Mary's Catholic Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Leek, part of St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 230 schools in Staffordshire with published results, and 320th of 14,452 across England. It was 73% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- 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 Staffordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Mary's Catholic Academy in detail
St Mary's Catholic Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to St Mary's Catholic Academy. We are proud members of the St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi Academy Trust and work closely with the other schools in our multi-academy to provide the very best opportunities for our pupils. At St Mary's we believe that education involves more than just delivering the National Curriculum."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's Catholic Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 100% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 77% in Staffordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 85% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Mary's Catholic Academy
For September 2026 entry, 19 families put St Mary's Catholic Academy as their first choice and 32 named it as one of their preferences, for 19 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 Catholic Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Catholic Academy are Westwood First School (0.4 miles, Good); All Saints CofE First School (0.5 miles, Good); Woodcroft Academy (0.6 miles, Good); and Leek First School (0.7 miles, Good).
Westwood First SchoolAll Saints CofE First SchoolWoodcroft AcademyLeek First School
The trust
St Mary's Catholic Academy is one of 64 schools run by St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 64 schools in St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust
What parents say
29 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Mary's Catholic Academy (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 14 pupils (7.8%) received SEN support and 7 (3.9%) 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 Mary's Catholic Academy had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Cheddleton (Churnet Valley Railway), about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sneyd Street (opposite), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 146 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Mary's Catholic Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Mary's Catholic Academy are St Edward's Church of England Academy (0.5 miles), Leek High School (0.9 miles), Westwood College (0.9 miles) and Churnet View Middle School (1.1 miles).
St Edward's Church of England AcademyLeek High SchoolWestwood CollegeChurnet View Middle School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 January 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Mary's creates a welcoming community where every child feels valued and included. The school excels at developing confident readers and writers while nurturing pupils' curiosity and love of learning. Through enriching activities like music, drama, and community involvement, pupils develop into responsible, caring young people who want to attend school.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour - pupils are kind, caring and listen respectfully to staff and each other
- Strong improvements in reading and writing, with pupils developing fluent handwriting and a love of books
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND and those new to the country, helping them feel included and confident
- Rich curriculum with many clubs and trips that bring learning to life
- Outstanding wider development with music, drama and community engagement opportunities
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils struggle to recall basic number facts and times tables, which slows their ability to calculate at speed and solve complex maths problems
- The school needs to ensure number fluency approaches are being delivered effectively for all pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff understanding pupils' needs and providing appropriate support.
Extracurricular Activities
Laser tag, archery, drama, rock bands, arena concerts, playground buddies, head boy/girl roles, trips linked to learning, community drama events
St Mary's Catholic Academy is a kind and caring primary school where pupils achieve well through a carefully designed curriculum. The school has successfully maintained good standards and continues to improve, with particular strengths in reading, writing, and pupil wellbeing.
At a Glance
27.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
29 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 85% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 70% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 80% to 93% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.4
Avg class size
19.7
Infant (KS1)
26.8
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's Catholic Academy
2nd October 2026 Newsletter
2 Oct 2026
25th September 2026 Newsletter
25 Sep 2026
18th September 2026 Newsletter
18 Sep 2026
11th September 2026 Newsletter
11 Sep 2026
17th July 2026 Newsletter
17 Jul 2026
3rd July 2026 Newsletter
3 Jul 2026
From St Mary's Catholic Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Mary's Catholic Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Mary's Catholic Academy.
- Woodcroft Academy Care Club970m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Mary's Catholic Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Staffordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Catholic Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Catholic Academy is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 14 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
3 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 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 Catholic Academy
Will you get a place at St Mary's Catholic Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's Catholic Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's Catholic Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's Catholic Academy.
- Staffordshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Mary's Catholic Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mary's Catholic Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Staffordshire 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
73%
Available places
153 pupils
210 places
57 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leek
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leek
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
10,768
Applications
8,344
Got 1st preference
95.1%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
11.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
179
Total Pupils
86
Boys
93
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
16.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,431
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,635
Per pupil
£967k
Total funding
£59k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.6%
Overall absence
4.2%
Persistent absence
143
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
Questions parents ask about St Mary's Catholic Academy
What are SATs results like at St Mary's Catholic Academy?
Of the pupils at St Mary's Catholic Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 100% did so in maths.
What is St Mary's Catholic Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Mary'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 January 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Catholic Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Catholic Academy is oversubscribed, Staffordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Mary's Catholic Academy?
St Mary's Catholic Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 73% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Catholic Academy?
Classes at St Mary's Catholic Academy average 22.4 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's Catholic Academy?
St Mary's Catholic Academy has around 179 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Catholic Academy?
2.6% of sessions were missed at St Mary's Catholic Academy in 2024/25. 4.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's Catholic Academy?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary'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 Mary's Catholic Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Mary's Catholic Academy: Woodcroft Academy Care Club (970m 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 Mary's Catholic Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 14 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 3 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Mary's Catholic Academy?
St Mary's Catholic Academy is at Cruso Street, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 8BW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)