St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Whitehaven
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
St Mary's creates a happy, inclusive environment where pupils feel valued and excited to learn. The school goes beyond the classroom to provide enriching experiences like residential trips and enterprise projects that develop confident, active citizens. Early years provision is exceptional, with children getting off to a flying start and making strong progress.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional early years provision with children making rapid progress from the start
- Outstanding behaviour and personal development, with pupils showing mature understanding of emotions and supporting each other
- Rich curriculum with impressive trips and experiences to contrasting locations including Glasgow, Newcastle and London
- Strong focus on reading with pupils developing fluency and teachers skilled at supporting those who struggle
- High attendance rates with effective action on persistent absence
Areas for Improvement
- A small number of recently revised subjects lack clearly defined key knowledge at each stage, making it harder for teachers to help pupils deepen their understanding over time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports, art, music, drama, dance, trips to contrasting geographical locations (Glasgow, Newcastle, London), annual residential trips from Year 2 onwards, enterprise projects with businesses, community work with charities and older people
St Mary's Catholic Primary School is a welcoming school where pupils are happy and excited to learn. The school provides an ambitious curriculum with high expectations and excellent behaviour from all pupils.
At a Glance
23.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
59 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 89% to 96%. Maths has remained stable at around 84%. Writing has improved from 78% to 88%.
Class Sizes
23.4
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
25.0
KS2
8
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
108%
Over capacity
195 pupils
180 capacity
15 places over capacity
Area Demand Pressure - Whitehaven
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Whitehaven
Admissions Demand - Cumberland
Places available
3,571
Applications
2,437
Got 1st preference
98.5%
Got preferred school
99.7%
Primary admissions across Cumberland (2025/26)
Inspection History(6)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.38613%
Overall absence
7.48299%
Persistent absence
147
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Nearby Schools
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