School Chooser

English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedRoman Catholic295 pupilsBirmingham
School Chooser Score
56
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 36 to 73
Out of 100. Better than 67% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2023
Reached the expected level at 1161%England 63%
Attendance93.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families55%Far more than most schools
Places80 spare295 pupils, 375 places
Pupils per teacher15.9School workforce census

English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Birmingham for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 295 pupils and room for 375. About 55 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 56 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Evelyn Road, Sparkhill, English Martyrs Rc Junior & Infant School, Birmingham, B11 3JW0121 464 3150englishmartyrscatholicprimaryschool.co.ukMr Joseph McTernan headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 22 March 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
12 November 2021UngradedSchool remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

59 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1161%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level3%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 54%54%20172018: 73%73%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 54%54%20232024: 63%63%20242025: 61%61%2025
Since 2017: +7%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017BirminghamEngland
Pupils tested595659576056
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths61%63%54%67%73%54%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%9%8%12%5%5%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0104.0103.0104.0104.0103.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0107.0103.0107.0105.0104.0104.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0109.0107.0113.0110.0109.0106.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard78%73%58%72%78%68%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard73%86%66%82%90%75%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)64%66%69%79%77%73%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.4+1.8+1.1+1.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.4+3.7+2.3+2.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged53%60%55%68%75%48%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged70%65%54%66%73%58%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
53%70%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
62%61%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
60%61%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%3%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places345 pupils for 419 places, 2024/25
82% full

74 places were empty (18% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 12% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Birmingham council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll295Census January 2026
Places37579% full
Pupils from low-income families55%55% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English65%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%49 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.312 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)53%£246,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls140 / 155
White British pupils2%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 18.6 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (35), Moderate learning difficulty (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), emotional and mental health (3), Other difficulty or disability (2), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll295342351379388389
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals55%49%40%40%39%32%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language65%65%70%74%72%77%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%14%17%15%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.62024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.6%6.7%7.5%7.4%7.1%4.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.3%4.2%5.1%5.9%3.2%3.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.4%2.4%2.4%1.4%3.9%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.8%21.0%26.4%27.8%22.8%9.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.60.00.00.81.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers18.6full-time equivalent, 19 people
Pupils per teacher15.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers95%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,590
Teachers who left in the year6%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.02024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,980England £7,738. Total £2.4m
Income per pupil£7,299England £7,697. Total £2.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,011England £3,480
Money in reserve14%A healthy amount put by: £347k, £1,015 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£109kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,980spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m97512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate120 per 1,000 people32% higher than the England average
Typical house price£235,000Birmingham

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St John's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy180 m451No overall grade 202532Compare
Greet Primary SchoolAcademy470 m704No overall grade 202420Compare
Arden Primary SchoolCouncil470 m692Good 202481Compare
Anderton Park Primary SchoolCouncil780 m415Good 202336Compare
Springfield Primary AcademyAcademy830 m443Good 202344Compare
Nelson Mandela SchoolCouncil950 m435Good 202430Compare
Conway Primary SchoolAcademy0.6 miles391No overall grade 202422Compare
Clifton Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles871Not inspected60Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats67%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 56 is 10 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 46 · highest 96100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Bordesley Village Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles291Report card 202683Compare
West Park Primary SchoolCouncil15.1 miles278Good 202482Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 56 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 56% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 36 to 73. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.04
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 59 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.04
DfE progress measure; 59 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.09
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.08
2024/25; 320 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 59 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School a good school?

It is about average. English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School scores 56 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 36 to 73, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School good at its last full inspection on 22 March 2023.

How good are English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 61% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School have?

295 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 375 places, so it is 79% full.

Is English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 74 places were empty in 2024/25 (18% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 22.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Evelyn Road, Sparkhill, English Martyrs Rc Junior & Infant School, Birmingham, B11 3JW
Telephone
0121 464 3150
Website
www.englishmartyrscatholicprimaryschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Joseph McTernan
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Birmingham
Local authority
Birmingham
Ward
Sparkhill
Constituency
Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
103425 · LAESTAB 3303321 · UKPRN 10079481

Where these figures come from