St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole, Poole
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Poole, part of Plymouth Cast. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 10th-highest of the 18 schools in Poole with published results, and 8,057th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole in detail
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football and ukulele.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole reached the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (74% in reading, 74% in maths).
Getting a place at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole
For September 2026 entry, 31 families put St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole as their first choice and 101 named it as one of their preferences, for 33 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole are Ocean Academy Poole (0.2 miles, Good, 79% reading, 77% maths); Longfleet Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 76% reading, 69% maths); Oakdale Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 68% reading, 66% maths); and Stanley Green Infant Academy (0.7 miles, Good).
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Ocean Academy PooleLongfleet Church of England Primary SchoolOakdale Junior SchoolStanley Green Infant Academy
The trust
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole is one of 34 schools run by Plymouth Cast, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
50 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole (as of September 2025): 86% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
11.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 42.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (46%), Asian (15%) and Black (11%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Poole Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Harbour Hill Road (se-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole issued 14 suspensions, 3.5 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, Poole are Poole High School (0.7 miles); St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole (0.8 miles); Magna Academy (1.4 miles); and Parkstone Grammar School (1.5 miles).
Poole High SchoolSt Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, PooleMagna AcademyParkstone Grammar School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; 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 January 2019, 7 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 November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Mary's is a warm, welcoming school where children feel valued and safe. Teachers form trusting relationships with every pupil and have high expectations for all learners. The school excels at bringing learning to life through enriching trips, musical performances, and a curriculum that helps pupils understand the wider world and develop strong values.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious, well-structured curriculum with strong connections across subjects and effective teaching strategies
- Reading is central to the curriculum with pupils becoming confident readers who understand challenging texts
- Excellent wider development provision including music productions, cultural celebrations, and educational trips
- Strong behaviour and positive relationships with pupils, guided by the school's '8 Bs' values
- Effective support for pupils with SEND and English as an additional language, helping them learn alongside peers
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils, including those with SEND, do not develop accurate letter and number formation or effective pencil grip, which hinders their writing fluency
- A few staff lack the subject expertise to teach early reading with enough precision, meaning some pupils don't develop phonics knowledge as quickly as they should
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
School musical productions, singing concerts, trips to Brownsea Island and other places of interest, eco-council activities, Mini Vinnies (prayer group), leadership voting opportunities, cultural festival celebrations
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole has successfully maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. The school creates a happy, friendly environment where pupils from all backgrounds feel safe and supported while achieving well academically.
At a Glance
11.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
50 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 74% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 74% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 79% to 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.3
Avg class size
24.4
Infant (KS1)
29.1
KS2
13
Total classes
2 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 School, Poole
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole.
- SC SMSAt the school · Not yet graded
- Casa Camp350m away · Not yet graded
- Step into Sport Longfleet Primary School490m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole is in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; for families living there:
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 38
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 38 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 8 serious and 28 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is 24 (the median across 117 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, Poole
Will you get a place at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole.
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 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
94%
Near capacity
394 pupils
420 places
26 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Poole
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Poole
Across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council
Places available
3,809
Applications
3,148
Got 1st preference
92.2%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
47
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
16.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
379
Total Pupils
189
Boys
190
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,805
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,029
Per pupil
£2187k
Total funding
£65k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
8.1%
Persistent absence
369
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, Poole
Questions parents ask about St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole
What are SATs results like at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole?
Of the pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 69% did so in maths.
What is St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole is oversubscribed, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 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, Poole?
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole?
Classes at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole average 27.3 pupils (2025/26). 2 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, Poole?
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole has around 379 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole?
4.4% of sessions were missed at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole in 2024/25. 8.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole?
Apply through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole 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, Poole have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: SC SMS (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more 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 School, Poole?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 38 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 8 serious and 28 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is 24 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole?
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole is at Devon Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 3QQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)