St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School, Farnham
St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Farnham, part of Xavier Catholic Education Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 11 schools in Farnham with published results, and 2,822nd of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Surrey (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School in detail
St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Please review the links in this section to the right for further information."
The school runs after-school care until 6:00pm.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 85% of Year 6 pupils at St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 79% in Surrey and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 81% in reading and 76% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 43 families put St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 125 named it as one of their preferences, for 55 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 Polycarp's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School are South Farnham School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 100% reading, 100% maths); St Andrew's Church of England Infant School (0.6 miles, Good); Highfield South Farnham School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 84% reading, 87% maths); and Potters Gate CofE Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 80% reading, 81% maths).
St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
South Farnham SchoolSt Andrew's Church of England Infant SchoolHighfield South Farnham SchoolPotters Gate CofE Primary School
The trust
St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School is one of 23 schools run by Xavier Catholic Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
247 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 91% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (91%).
Who goes there
9.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Farnham Rail Station, about 240 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Farnham Railway Station (e-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 1.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School are Weydon School (1.3 miles), Farnham Heath End (1.4 miles) and All Hallows Catholic School (1.7 miles).
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; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Polycarp's is a truly inclusive school where all pupils achieve high standards in a calm, supportive environment. The school goes beyond the basics, offering specialist teaching in music, PE and Spanish, plus a rich programme of clubs, trips and enrichment activities. Staff clearly care for pupils' wellbeing and development, helping them become confident, kind learners who support their community.
Key Strengths
- Inclusive approach ensuring all pupils, including those with additional needs, access the same ambitious curriculum and achieve highly
- Excellent early reading provision with well-structured phonics teaching and effective support for weaker readers
- Rich extra-curricular programme including sports, music, trips and enrichment activities that enhance learning
- Consistently calm classrooms with exemplary pupil behaviour supported by clear, simple rules
- Strong staff development and subject expertise resulting in well-delivered curriculum across all subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
School choir, Lent concert, sports festivals, activity days, tournaments, library lessons, science fair, art projects with local artists, educational trips
St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School is a welcoming and nurturing environment where pupils thrive academically and personally, with exemplary behaviour and high achievement across all areas. The school delivers an ambitious, broad curriculum with specialist teaching and consistently excellent standards.
At a Glance
9.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
247 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 81% to 85% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 76% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.9
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
31.6
KS2
14
Total classes
5 classes 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 Polycarp's Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School.
- S4K Camp - St Polycarps Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- art-K Farnham750m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Surrey's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School is in Surrey; for families living there:
- Surrey's school travel policy: Travel Assistance Policy for under 16s
- How to apply: Apply online for under 16 travel help
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 34
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 34 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 27 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot 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 Surrey is 13 (the median across 521 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 Polycarp's Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School.
- Surrey publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School for 2020 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Surrey 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
422 pupils
420 places
2 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Farnham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Farnham
Across Surrey council
Places available
13,004
Applications
11,426
Got 1st preference
89.8%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All primary applications across Surrey council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
54
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
15.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
433
Total Pupils
215
Boys
218
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
16.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,106
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2274k
Total funding
£59k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
5.2%
Persistent absence
368
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 Polycarp's Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 85% reached the expected standard in reading and 88% did so in maths.
What is St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Surrey allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School?
St Polycarp's 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 Polycarp's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School average 30.9 pupils (2025/26). 5 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School?
St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School has around 433 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 5.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Surrey's coordinated admissions process, naming St Polycarp'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 Polycarp'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: S4K Camp - St Polycarps Primary School (registered, not yet graded). There is another 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 Polycarp's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 34 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 27 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot 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 Surrey is 13 (the median across 521 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School?
St Polycarp's Catholic Primary School is at Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 8BQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)