St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Chippenham

Ofsted's report card from its 20 January 2026 inspection grades St Mary's Catholic Primary School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school's personal development and wellbeing provision is a strength."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Typically, pupils learn well from the school's broad curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders are tenacious in their work to improve attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have adopted an ambitious and broad curriculum."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise the early years provision, ensuring that children receive a successful start to their education and a secure foundation for future learning."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have cultivated an inclusive culture in which pupils' needs are identified with accuracy and considered carefully when shaping provision."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have ambitious expectations for all pupils to do well."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should ensure that staff consistently teach pupils how to improve their handwriting and develop their spoken language to ensure pupils secure the basics before moving on to more complex work. • Leaders should ensure that teachers check how well pupils understand new learning so that they can identify and address any misconceptions as they arise".

In its own words: "Our School was built in 1960 by the Order of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God to serve the families of the local Parish of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Chippenham , and today many of our parents were themselves children at the School."

The school runs after-school care.

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 54% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 73% in Wiltshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 77% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 24 families put St Mary's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 43 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.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Catholic Primary School are Ivy Lane Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 81% reading, 83% maths); Redland Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 84% reading, 87% maths); Frogwell Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 48% reading, 45% maths); and Queen's Crescent School (0.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 82% maths).

St Mary's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

St Mary's Catholic Primary School is one of 13 schools run by The Dunstan Catholic Educational Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

41 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Mary's Catholic Primary School (as of April 2026): 90% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 50% 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) (50%).

15.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 31 pupils (18.8%) received SEN support and 2 (1.2%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.

The nearest railway station is Chippenham Rail Station, about 1150 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Community Hospital (n-bound), 70 metres away.

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 180 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 Wiltshire (34), as is usual near a town centre.

St Mary's Catholic Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.

The secondary schools closest to St Mary's Catholic Primary School are The Young People's Support Centre (0.9 miles), Sheldon School (0.9 miles), Hardenhuish School (1.2 miles) and Abbeyfield School (1.5 miles).