St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Portsmouth
St Paul's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Portsmouth. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 28 schools in Portsmouth with published results, and 6,834th of 14,452 across England. It was 67% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Portsmouth (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Paul's Catholic Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at St Paul's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 75% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 70% and 68% in Portsmouth and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (76% in reading, 76% in maths).
Getting a place at St Paul's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 30 families put St Paul's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 48 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
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 Beacon View Primary Academy (0.2 miles, Requires improvement, 53% reading, 47% maths); The Victory Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 73% reading, 69% maths); Medina Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 68% reading, 65% maths); and Portsdown Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 44% reading, 51% maths).
St Paul's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Beacon View Primary AcademyThe Victory Primary SchoolMedina Primary SchoolPortsdown Primary School
Who goes there
42.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 44 pupils (16.2%) received SEN support and 20 (7.4%) 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.
Staffing
St Paul's Catholic Primary School had 19 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Portchester Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Nailsworth Road (w-bound), 80 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% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 179 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Portsmouth (499).
Suspensions and exclusions
St Paul's Catholic Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Paul's Catholic Primary School are Castle View Academy (0.7 miles) and Portchester Community School (1.4 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; DfE school workforce census; 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 July 2018, 8 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 July 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
42.6%
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 76% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 70% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.7
Avg class size
25.0
Infant (KS1)
27.4
KS2
7
Total classes
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.
- Little Prems St PaulsAt the school · Not yet graded
- CM Sports at St Paul's Catholic Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Paul's Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Portsmouth's term dates for its community schools.
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 Portsmouth; for families living there:
- Portsmouth's school travel policy: Travel assistance policy for school age (5-16) children
- How to apply: apply for discretionary travel assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 60
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 13
- Children hurt
- 14
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 60 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 47 slight.
14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 5 on a bicycle and 7 in a vehicle or otherwise.
15 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 Portsmouth is 57 (the median across 67 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.
- Portsmouth publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Paul's Catholic Primary School that we hold, 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 Portsmouth 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
67%
Available places
281 pupils
420 places
139 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Portsmouth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Portsmouth
Across Portsmouth council
Places available
2,230
Applications
1,887
Got 1st preference
93.0%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All primary applications across Portsmouth council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
44
SEN Support
20
EHC Plans
23.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
272
Total Pupils
132
Boys
140
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
14.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,238
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,883
Per pupil
£1875k
Total funding
£141k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
18.7%
Persistent absence
268
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, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% 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 November 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2018, 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, Portsmouth 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 not full in 2025: it ran at 67% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Paul's Catholic Primary School average 26.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
St Paul's Catholic Primary School has around 272 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
5.7% of sessions were missed at St Paul's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 18.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Portsmouth'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 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: Little Prems St Pauls (registered, not yet graded) and CM Sports at St Paul's Catholic Primary School (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 Paul's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 60 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 47 slight. 14 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 5 on a bicycle and 7 in a vehicle or otherwise. 15 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 Portsmouth is 57 (the median across 67 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Paul's Catholic Primary School?
St Paul's Catholic Primary School is at Bourne Road, Paulsgrove, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 4JD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)