St Mary's Catholic Primary, Chesterfield
St Mary's Catholic Primary is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Chesterfield. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 21st-highest of the 48 schools in Chesterfield with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.7 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- 1.7 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Derbyshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Mary's Catholic Primary in detail
St Mary's Catholic Primary in its own words
In its own words: "Our motto is ‘Let Your Light Shine’ and this underpins all we are aiming to achieve at St Mary’s. It enables us to prepare the children to be life-long learners who achieve their unique God-given potential. Our aim is for children to leave our school with a love of God and with strong values of respect for one other."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary reached the expected standard in reading and 78% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Derbyshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (80% in reading, 82% in maths).
Getting a place at St Mary's Catholic Primary
For September 2026 entry, 100 families put St Mary's Catholic Primary as their first choice and 147 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.7 first choices for every place. 41 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary's Catholic Primary
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Catholic Primary are Abercrombie Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 90% reading, 93% maths); Brampton Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 36% reading, 43% maths); Christ Church CofE Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 83% reading, 83% maths); and Highfield Hall Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 64% reading, 64% maths).
St Mary's Catholic Primary's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Abercrombie Primary SchoolBrampton Primary SchoolChrist Church CofE Primary SchoolHighfield Hall Primary School
Who goes there
14.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 9.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (74%), Asian (7%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 35 pupils (8.1%) received SEN support and 10 (2.3%) 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 Chesterfield Rail Station, about 990 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Marys Primary School (adjacent), 20 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 497 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Mary's Catholic Primary issued 5 suspensions, 1.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Mary's Catholic Primary are Parkside Community School (0.7 miles); Outwood Academy Newbold (0.8 miles); St Mary's Catholic High School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy (1.2 miles); and Brookfield Community School (1.6 miles).
Parkside Community SchoolOutwood Academy NewboldSt Mary's Catholic High School, A Catholic Voluntary AcademyBrookfield Community School
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; 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 December 2018, 7 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
St Mary's Catholic Primary is a happy and welcoming place. Pupils are proud of their school and embrace the school's motto, 'Let Your Light Shine'. They relate this to doing their best and serving others.
There are many opportunities for pupils to shine, such as being a school councillor, a prefect or a Mini Vinnie. Pupils can excel themselves while playing in competitions, such as a recent football competition at Sheffield United, where some Year 3 pupils proudly won overall. Pupils might also shine while growing their talents in one of the many after-school clubs.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school is determined that all pupils read fluently. Pupils start learning to read as soon as they join school in the Reception-age classes. They read books that match their progress on the phonics programme. Expertly trained staff quickly identify pupils who fall behind in phonics. They provide extra support to make sure these pupils catch up. Once they are accurate and fluent readers, pupils enjoy selecting books from the library. There is an appealing range to choose from. All pupils enjoy regular visits to the town library. The school continually promotes the love of reading. Pupils enjoy it when their teachers read a story or the class novel to them. As a reward, pupils delight in receiving a token for the book vending machine.
The school has developed an ambitious and engaging curriculum. The school trains and mentors the enthusiastic subject leaders well to lead these developments. For most subjects, the school has precisely identified the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn. This knowledge is carefully sequenced so that pupils gradually build on what they know. Mostly, pupils gain detailed knowledge of the curriculum. However, there are a few areas where the development work is not yet complete. Pupils' learning in these areas is not as strong in these aspects.
From Ofsted's June 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 Good at its December 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
14.3%
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 remained stable at around 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.9
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
32.1
KS2
14
Total classes
8 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 Catholic Primary
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Mary's Catholic Primary.
- St Mary's Primary School 4-11 ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- JPAC Ltd at Brampton Primary School740m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Mary's Catholic Primary is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Derbyshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Catholic Primary from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Catholic Primary is in Derbyshire; for families living there:
- Derbyshire's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy 2026 to 2027 - 465KB
- How to apply: Apply for home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 35
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 35 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 12 serious and 22 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 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 Primary
Will you get a place at St Mary's Catholic Primary? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's Catholic Primary's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's Catholic Primary:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's Catholic Primary.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derbyshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mary's Catholic Primary for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Derbyshire 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
100%
Full
420 pupils
420 places
No spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chesterfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chesterfield
Across Derbyshire council
Places available
9,875
Applications
7,189
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Derbyshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: 1.7 first choices per place
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
35
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
10.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
433
Total Pupils
204
Boys
229
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
19.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,696
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,977
Per pupil
£2289k
Total funding
£88k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.4%
Overall absence
6.0%
Persistent absence
365
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 Primary
What are SATs results like at St Mary's Catholic Primary?
Of the pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% did so in maths.
What is St Mary's Catholic Primary's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's Catholic Primary's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Catholic Primary?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Catholic Primary is oversubscribed, Derbyshire 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 Primary?
St Mary's Catholic Primary was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Catholic Primary?
Classes at St Mary's Catholic Primary average 30.9 pupils (2025/26). 8 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 Catholic Primary?
St Mary's Catholic Primary has around 433 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Catholic Primary?
3.4% of sessions were missed at St Mary's Catholic Primary in 2024/25. 6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's Catholic Primary?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's Catholic Primary 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 Primary have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: St Mary's Primary School 4-11 Club (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. 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 Primary?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 35 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 12 serious and 22 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Mary's Catholic Primary?
St Mary's Catholic Primary is at Cross Street, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 4ST.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)