St Philomena's Primary School, Orpington
St Philomena's Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Orpington, part of St Oscar Romero Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2010. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 23 schools in Orpington with published results, and 582nd of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2010)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bromley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Philomena's Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 96% of Year 6 pupils at St Philomena's Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 79% in Bromley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 90% in reading and 86% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Philomena's Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put St Philomena's Primary School as their first choice and 64 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Philomena's Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Philomena's Primary School are Harris Primary Academy Orpington (0.2 miles, Good, 71% reading, 65% maths); St. Mary Cray Primary Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 63% reading, 47% maths); Orion Blenheim (0.7 miles, Good, 79% reading, 75% maths); and Manor Oak Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 73% reading, 81% maths).
St Philomena's Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Harris Primary Academy OrpingtonSt. Mary Cray Primary AcademyOrion BlenheimManor Oak Primary School
The trust
St Philomena's Primary School is one of 16 schools run by St Oscar Romero Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
13.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 22 pupils (10.9%) received SEN support and 15 (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 Philomena's Primary School had 16 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Mary Cray Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Mungo Park Way (->n), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 286 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Bromley (188), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Philomena's Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Philomena's Primary School are Harris Academy Orpington (0.5 miles) and St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School (1.2 miles).
Harris Academy OrpingtonSt Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School
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 May 2010, 16 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 May 2010 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
13.4%
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 improved from 90% to 96% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 86% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
29.7
KS2
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with St Philomena's Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Philomena's Primary School.
- Ambitious Learning At Orpington High Steet940m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Philomena's Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Philomena's Primary School is in Bromley; for families living there:
Apply to Bromley for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 16 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 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 Bromley is 19 (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 Philomena's Primary School
Will you get a place at St Philomena's Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Philomena's Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Philomena's Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Philomena's Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bromley, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Philomena's Primary School for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bromley 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
97%
Near capacity
203 pupils
209 places
6 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Orpington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Orpington
Across Bromley council
Places available
3,982
Applications
3,203
Got 1st preference
87.7%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Bromley council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
22
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
18.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
202
Total Pupils
110
Boys
92
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
12.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,119
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,751
Per pupil
£1250k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.4%
Overall absence
5.0%
Persistent absence
180
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 Philomena's Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Philomena's Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Philomena's Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Philomena's Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 96% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is St Philomena's Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Philomena's Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2010, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Philomena's Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Philomena's Primary School is oversubscribed, Bromley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Philomena's Primary School?
St Philomena's Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Philomena's Primary School?
Classes at St Philomena's Primary School average 29.3 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 Philomena's Primary School?
St Philomena's Primary School has around 202 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Philomena's Primary School?
3.4% of sessions were missed at St Philomena's Primary School in 2024/25. 5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Philomena's Primary School?
Apply through Bromley's coordinated admissions process, naming St Philomena's 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 Philomena's 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 Philomena's Primary School: Ambitious Learning At Orpington High Steet (940m 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 Philomena's Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 16 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 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 Bromley is 19 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Philomena's Primary School?
St Philomena's Primary School is at Chelsfield Road, Orpington, Kent, BR5 4DR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)