St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy, Derby
St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Derby, part of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 10th-highest of the 86 schools in Derby with published results, and 1,757th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Derby (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 92% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 70% in Derby and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (88% in reading, 90% in maths).
Getting a place at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 35 families put St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 87 named it as one of their preferences, for 41 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 Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy are Lawn Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 89% maths); Markeaton Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 82% reading, 75% maths); Walter Evans Church of England Aided Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 85% reading, 81% maths); and Ashgate Primary School (1 mile, Good, 53% reading, 67% maths).
St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Lawn Primary SchoolMarkeaton Primary SchoolWalter Evans Church of England Aided Primary SchoolAshgate Primary School
The trust
St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 25 schools run by St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 25 schools in St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust
Who goes there
63.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (31%), Black (31%) and Asian (17%).
In 2026, 85 pupils (21.6%) received SEN support and 6 (1.5%) 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 Derby Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Broadway Convent (adjacent), 140 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy are Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.3 miles); Landau Forte College (1 mile); Allestree Woodlands School (1.2 miles); and Da Vinci Academy (1.6 miles).
Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary AcademyLandau Forte CollegeAllestree Woodlands SchoolDa Vinci Academy
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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education.
At a Glance
22.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 88% to 92% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 92% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.7
Avg class size
23.7
Infant (KS1)
27.0
KS2
15
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Derby
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- Kings Camps710m away · Not yet graded
- Y-Kidz@Markeaton730m away · Not yet graded
- Soccerstarsuk DRC980m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is in Derby; for families living there:
Apply to Derby for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Derby is 24 (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 Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derby, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Derby 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
101%
Over capacity
361 pupils
357 places
4 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Derby
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Derby
Across Derby council
Places available
3,564
Applications
2,643
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Derby council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
85
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
23.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
394
Total Pupils
195
Boys
199
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
23.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,938
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,526
Per pupil
£2170k
Total funding
£133k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
9.4%
Persistent absence
330
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 Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 92% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Derby 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 Voluntary Academy?
St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy average 25.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 394 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
4% of sessions were missed at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 9.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Derby's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy 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 Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy: Kings Camps (710m away, registered, not yet graded), Y-Kidz@Markeaton (730m away, registered, not yet graded) and Soccerstarsuk DRC (980m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Derby is 24 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Broadway, Derby, DE22 1AU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)