The Faber Catholic Primary School, Stoke-on-Trent
The Faber Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Stoke-on-Trent, part of St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 59th-highest of the 103 schools in Stoke-on-Trent with published results, and 8,234th of 14,452 across England. It was 78% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Staffordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Faber Catholic Primary School in detail
The Faber Catholic Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "It gives me great pleasure to welcome you and your child to The Faber Catholic Primary school, which is part of St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi Academy Trust. Choosing your child's school is one of the most important decisions you will ever make."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at The Faber Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 77% in Staffordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 78% in reading and 78% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at The Faber Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 11 families put The Faber Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 18 named it as one of their preferences, for 11 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at The Faber Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Faber Catholic Primary School are The Valley Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 78% reading, 78% maths); St Peter's CofE Academy Alton (2.2 miles, Good); St Werburgh's CE (A) Primary School (3.2 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths); and Waterhouses CofE Primary Academy (3.2 miles, Good, 88% reading, 100% maths).
The Faber Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
The Valley Primary SchoolSt Peter's CofE Academy AltonSt Werburgh's CE (A) Primary SchoolWaterhouses CofE Primary Academy
The trust
The Faber Catholic Primary School is one of 64 schools run by St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 64 schools in St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust
What parents say
30 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Faber Catholic Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (87%).
Who goes there
6.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 6 pupils (8.3%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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.
Staffing
The Faber Catholic Primary School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Kingsley & Froghall (Churnet Valley Railway), about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Star Inn (adjacent), 240 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86).
Suspensions and exclusions
The Faber Catholic Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from November 2011, 14 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 May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Faber Catholic Primary School creates a supportive, family-like community where children feel safe and proud to learn. Teachers deliver high-quality lessons, particularly in reading, and the school provides extensive enrichment activities including clubs for gardening, weightlifting, crafting and competitive sports. Pupils with additional needs receive excellent support and thrive alongside their peers in this harmonious school.
Key Strengths
- Exemplary pupil behaviour and exceptionally well-mannered, courteous students who support one another
- High-quality phonics teaching and a strong reading focus that produces fluent, confident independent readers
- Well-sequenced, ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge progressively across year groups
- Effective support for pupils with SEND who thrive in school
- Strong early years provision where children get off to a flying start
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils need more opportunities to develop reasoning and problem-solving skills in mathematics to deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts
- Inconsistent approach to identifying and correcting written errors in some foundation subjects, leading to repeated mistakes
- Some foundation subjects do not have focused enough checking of accuracy in pupils' written work
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Gardening club, weightlifting club, crafting club, inter-school sporting events, food bank drives, care package drives, breakfast club, after-school club
The Faber Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary school with a strong family-like atmosphere where pupils take pride in their school and achieve well across the curriculum. The school is part of The Painsley Catholic Academy trust and has been judged Good for quality of education, with Outstanding grades for behaviour and attitudes and personal development.
At a Glance
6.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
30 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 remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 78% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
14.0
Avg class size
15.0
Infant (KS1)
18.0
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from The Faber Catholic Primary School
Letter from the Principal 2nd October 26
2 Oct 2026
Newsletter 25th September 26
25 Sep 2026
Letter from the Principal 18th September 26
18 Sep 2026
Newsletter 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Letter from the Principal 4th September 2026
4 Sep 2026
Letter from the Principal 17th July 26
17 Jul 2026
From The Faber Catholic Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with The Faber Catholic Primary School
Term dates
The Faber Catholic Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Staffordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Faber Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Faber Catholic Primary School is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 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 The Faber Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at The Faber Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Faber Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Faber Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Faber Catholic Primary School.
- Staffordshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for The Faber Catholic Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Faber Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Staffordshire 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
78%
Available places
71 pupils
91 places
20 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Stoke-on-Trent
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stoke-on-Trent
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
10,768
Applications
8,344
Got 1st preference
95.1%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
6
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
8.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
72
Total Pupils
38
Boys
34
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
12.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,955
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,013
Per pupil
£541k
Total funding
£6k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.6%
Overall absence
5.1%
Persistent absence
59
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about The Faber Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Faber Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Faber Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is The Faber Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Faber Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Faber Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When The Faber Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Staffordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Faber Catholic Primary School?
The Faber Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 78% of its 91 places.
How big are the classes at The Faber Catholic Primary School?
Classes at The Faber Catholic Primary School average 14 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Faber Catholic Primary School?
The Faber Catholic Primary School has around 72 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Faber Catholic Primary School?
3.6% of sessions were missed at The Faber Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 5.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Faber Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Faber 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.
How many road collisions happen near The Faber Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Faber Catholic Primary School?
The Faber Catholic Primary School is at Cotton Lane, Cotton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST10 3DN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)