St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Beckenham
St Mary's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Beckenham. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 10 schools in Beckenham with published results, and 1,876th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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's Catholic Primary School in detail
St Mary's Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "St Mary's Catholic Primary School is situated in Beckenham, in the London Borough of Bromley. It was founded in 1968 on land leased to Bromley Council by a religious order- The Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus."
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of the staff and governors I welcome you and your child to St Mary's Catholic Primary School."
Coming up: an open day on Thursday 12 November 2026 and an open day on Thursday 26 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Bromley
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 90% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 79% in Bromley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 93% in reading and 93% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Mary's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 70 families put St Mary's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 206 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 14 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Catholic Primary School are Harris Primary Academy Beckenham Green (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 97% reading, 97% maths); Worsley Bridge Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 65% reading, 65% maths); Clare House Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 90% reading, 95% maths); and St Augustine's Catholic Primary School and Nursery (0.7 miles, Good, 81% reading, 81% maths).
St Mary's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Harris Primary Academy Beckenham GreenWorsley Bridge Primary SchoolClare House Primary SchoolSt Augustine's Catholic Primary School and Nursery
Who goes there
6.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ravensbourne Station, about 540 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Convent Close (->w), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Mary's Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 294 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. 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's Catholic Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.2 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 Catholic Primary School are Sedgehill Academy (0.7 miles), Harris Academy Beckenham (1 mile) and Bonus Pastor Catholic College (1.1 miles).
Sedgehill AcademyHarris Academy BeckenhamBonus Pastor Catholic College
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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils thrive at this exceptional school. Kindness is at the centre of the culture. Pupils are confident, polite, and extremely hard working. They have a passion for learning and are very happy in school.
Working relationships between staff and pupils are entirely positive. Staff know their pupils very well. This ensures pupils are safe in school. Staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This enables pupils to excel.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders have developed a highly ambitious curriculum that supports all pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve well. This is because knowledge is well-sequenced to deepen pupils' understanding over time. For example, in mathematics, leaders have identified and developed specific areas of the curriculum to ensure pupils know and remember more. Several new strategies have been put in place to improve pupils' retention of knowledge. As a result, the impact in mathematics is extremely strong, in line with other subjects in the school.
Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information very clearly. They make extremely effective adaptations to ensure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum successfully. Teachers routinely check pupils' understanding and address any misconceptions swiftly. This ensures that all pupils have a secure understanding before moving onto new learning. In early years, teachers are highly skilled at ensuring children develop their communication skills. Staff continuously develop and embed the children's vocabulary through a wide range of well-chosen activities.
From Ofsted's July 2024 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 Outstanding at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
6.4%
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 93% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 84% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.0
Avg class size
29.2
Infant (KS1)
30.6
KS2
14
Total classes
5 classes 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 Primary School
The Friday Flyer
2 Oct 2026
Open Mornings - Reception Class of 2027
1 Oct 2026
The Wednesday Word
30 Sep 2026
Open Mornings for Reception Admissions September 2027
24 Aug 2026
St Mary's Summer Fair - Saturday 27th June - 11am to 3pm
20 May 2026
School Council Visit to Houses of Parliament
4 Nov 2025
From St Mary's Catholic Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Mary's Catholic Primary School.
- Munchkin Sports St Christopher's The Hall School After School Care and Holiday Camp770m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Catholic Primary School 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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's Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Mary's Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's Catholic Primary School.
- 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's Catholic Primary School 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
98%
Near capacity
412 pupils
420 places
8 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Beckenham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Beckenham
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(4)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
46
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
14.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
420
Total Pupils
212
Boys
208
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
19.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,340
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,044
Per pupil
£2245k
Total funding
£41k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.1%
Overall absence
2.5%
Persistent absence
357
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 Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Mary's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Mary's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 90% did so in maths.
What is St Mary's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's Catholic Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2013 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Catholic Primary School 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's Catholic Primary School?
St Mary's Catholic Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Mary's Catholic Primary School average 30 pupils (2025/26). 5 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 School?
St Mary's Catholic Primary School has around 420 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Catholic Primary School?
3.1% of sessions were missed at St Mary's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 2.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Bromley's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's 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.
Does St Mary's Catholic Primary School 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 Primary School: Munchkin Sports St Christopher's The Hall School After School Care and Holiday Camp (770m 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 Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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's Catholic Primary School?
St Mary's Catholic Primary School is at Westgate Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 5DE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)