St Nicholas Catholic Primary School, Leeds
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Leeds. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 102nd-highest of the 182 schools in Leeds with published results, and 8,234th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Leeds (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School in detail
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "A very warm welcome from all of us at St. Nicholas Catholic Primary School. If you are an existing parent, I hope it helps keep you up to date, and if you are a prospective parent, I hope it gives you a flavour of who we are."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Leeds and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (72% in reading, 81% in maths).
Getting a place at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 41 families put St Nicholas Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 118 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Nicholas Catholic Primary School are Co-op Academy Oakwood (0.4 miles, Good, 75% reading, 75% maths); Wykebeck Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 44% reading, 44% maths); Co-op Academy Woodlands (0.7 miles, Good, 61% reading, 71% maths); and Seacroft Grange Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 58% reading, 52% maths).
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Co-op Academy OakwoodWykebeck Primary SchoolCo-op Academy WoodlandsSeacroft Grange Primary School
Who goes there
36.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (31%), Black (29%) and Asian (19%).
In 2026, 60 pupils (19.2%) received SEN support and 9 (2.9%) 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 Cross Gates Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Oakwood Lane St Nicholas School, 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Nicholas Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 654 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and vehicle crime. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Leeds (229), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Nicholas Catholic Primary School are Bishop Young Church of England Academy (0.8 miles); Corpus Christi Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy (1 mile); Leeds East Academy (1.1 miles); and Temple Learning Academy (1.2 miles).
Bishop Young Church of England AcademyCorpus Christi Catholic College, A Voluntary AcademyLeeds East AcademyTemple Learning Academy
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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2022 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Nicholas is a warm, inclusive school where children feel safe and supported. The school excels at nurturing a love of reading and has a thoughtfully planned curriculum that builds pupils' knowledge step by step. Pupils benefit from strong Christian values, caring relationships between staff and pupils, and lots of opportunities to contribute to school life and help others.
Key Strengths
- Strong Christian ethos and values that pupils understand and reflect in their behaviour and actions
- Well-planned curriculum with clear progression, good use of assessment to identify gaps, and additional support for pupils who need it
- Excellent focus on reading development, including phonics from Reception and a 'Reading Cafe' to foster love of reading
- Effective safeguarding arrangements with regular staff training and strong relationships with external agencies
- Rich opportunities for personal development through residential visits, student council, eco warriors, and charity work
Areas for Improvement
- Some phonics staff are new and do not always identify pupils' misconceptions quickly enough
- Individual learning plans for pupils with SEND lack sufficient detail about specific support needed and do not always provide enough practice for pupils to learn important skills
- Personal development curriculum does not adequately teach about British values, protected characteristics, and other faiths and cultures - these topics need to be revisited more often
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - staff receive regular training, report concerns confidently, and leaders work with parents and external agencies to keep pupils safe with appropriate records of action taken.
Extracurricular Activities
Residential and educational visits, student council, eco warriors, mini-vinnies, sports leaders activities at lunchtime, buddy system, Reading Cafe, student librarians
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School is a Good school where pupils understand and live out the school's Christian vision to 'love one another'. The school provides a safe, welcoming environment where pupils enjoy learning and feel proud of their achievements.
At a Glance
22.4%
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 remained stable at around 70% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.5
Avg class size
26.4
Infant (KS1)
30.2
KS2
11
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Nicholas Catholic Primary School
Newsletter 28th September 2026
28 Sep 2026
Newsletter 14th September 2026
14 Sep 2026
Newsletter 3rd September 2026
3 Sep 2026
From St Nicholas Catholic Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St Nicholas Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Nicholas Catholic Primary School.
- Leeds Tuition Centre900m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Leeds's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Nicholas Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Nicholas Catholic Primary School is in Leeds; for families living there:
Apply to Leeds for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 39
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 14
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 14 serious and 24 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Leeds is 18.5 (the median across 308 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 Nicholas Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Nicholas Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Nicholas Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Nicholas Catholic Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Leeds, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Leeds 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Full
315 pupils
315 places
No spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leeds
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leeds
Across Leeds council
Places available
10,125
Applications
8,039
Got 1st preference
92.4%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Leeds council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
60
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
22.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
313
Total Pupils
157
Boys
156
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
18.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,724
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,553
Per pupil
£1951k
Total funding
£98k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
5.1%
Persistent absence
275
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
Questions parents ask about St Nicholas Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 70% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is St Nicholas Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2009 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Nicholas Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Nicholas Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Leeds allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School?
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School average 28.5 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Nicholas Catholic Primary School?
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School has around 313 pupils on roll. 22% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School?
3.3% of sessions were missed at St Nicholas Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 5.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Nicholas Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Leeds's coordinated admissions process, naming St Nicholas 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 Nicholas 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 Nicholas Catholic Primary School: Leeds Tuition Centre (900m 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 Nicholas Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 14 serious and 24 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Leeds is 18.5 (the median across 308 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Nicholas Catholic Primary School?
St Nicholas Catholic Primary School is at Oakwood Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 6QY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)