St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Reading
St Paul's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Reading. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 12th-highest of the 85 schools in Reading with published results, and 1,036th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to West Berkshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Paul's Catholic Primary School in detail
St Paul's Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Welcome to St Paul's Catholic Primary School! My name is Mr Robinson, and I have the privilege of serving as Headteacher at St Paul's. I bring twelve years of experience in Catholic education, including six years as Deputy Headteacher at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Newbury."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include netball, basketball, multi-sports, judo, dance, drama, choir, STEM and art.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 94% of Year 6 pupils at St Paul's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 90% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 71% in West Berkshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (94% in reading, 92% in maths).
Getting a place at St Paul's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 31 families put St Paul's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 61 named it as one of their preferences, for 36 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 Paul's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Paul's Catholic Primary School are Springfield Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 88% reading, 81% maths); Birch Copse Primary School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 83% reading, 82% maths); Park Lane Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 82% reading, 72% maths); and Calcot Infant School and Nursery (0.7 miles, Good).
St Paul's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Springfield Primary SchoolBirch Copse Primary SchoolPark Lane Primary SchoolCalcot Infant School and Nursery
Who goes there
4.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 27.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (39%), Asian (17%) and Mixed (14%).
In 2026, 38 pupils (13.6%) received SEN support and 6 (2.2%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Tilehurst Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Pauls School (opp 54), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Paul's Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 8th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 132 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Berkshire (26), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Paul's Catholic Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Paul's Catholic Primary School are Little Heath School (0.4 miles) and Denefield School (1.3 miles).
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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from December 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2012 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
4.3%
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 94% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 92% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.4
Avg class size
10
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 Paul's Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Paul's Catholic Primary School.
- St Paul's Stars Breakfast and After School ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- Premier Education Camp at Birch Copse Primary School480m away · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ Park Lane RG31660m away · Not yet graded
- AH cricket academy - Little Heath school670m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Paul's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Paul's Catholic Primary School is in West Berkshire; for families living there:
Apply to West Berkshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 15 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 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 Paul's Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Paul's Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Paul's Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Paul's Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Paul's Catholic Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from West Berkshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Paul's Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in West Berkshire 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
95%
Near capacity
299 pupils
315 places
16 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Reading
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Reading
Across West Berkshire council
Places available
2,024
Applications
1,547
Got 1st preference
90.8%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across West Berkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
38
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
15.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
279
Total Pupils
137
Boys
142
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
17.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,783
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,127
Per pupil
£1622k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
8.0%
Persistent absence
261
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 Paul's Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Paul's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Paul's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 94% reached the expected standard in reading and 90% did so in maths.
What is St Paul's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Paul's Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Paul's Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, West Berkshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
St Paul's Catholic Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Paul's Catholic Primary School average 26.4 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 Paul's Catholic Primary School?
St Paul's Catholic Primary School has around 279 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St Paul's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through West Berkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Paul'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 Paul's Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: St Paul's Stars Breakfast and After School Club (registered, not yet graded). There are 3 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 Paul's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 15 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
St Paul's Catholic Primary School is at City Road, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, RG31 4SZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)