School Chooser

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedRoman Catholic136 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubDoncaster
School Chooser Score
24
Below
similar schools
Likely range 9 to 53, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 41% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, April 2026
Reached the expected level at 1160%England 63%
Attendance95.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families34%A bit more than most schools
Places24 spare136 pupils, 160 places
Pupils per teacher22.4School workforce census

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Doncaster for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 136 pupils and room for 160. About 34 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 24 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 41% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in April 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Finkle Street, Bentley, Doncaster, DN5 0RP01302 874291ourladys.doncaster.sch.ukMrs Yvonne Gac headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 14 April 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Strong
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
23 November 2021UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1160%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score101.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 47%47%20172018: 50%50%20182019: 72%72%20192023: 47%47%20232024: 59%59%20242025: 60%60%2025
Since 2017: +13%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017DoncasterEngland
Pupils tested201717181617
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths60%59%47%72%50%47%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%12%11%0%12%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score101.0104.0106.0104.0101.0101.0105.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0104.0106.0106.0100.0103.0104.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0103.0107.0108.0101.0103.0104.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard65%82%71%72%56%53%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard70%71%76%83%56%76%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)65%71%71%83%75%59%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.3-2.2-4.0-2.4
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.7-0.2-3.0-1.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged25%40%50%38%43%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged83%86%83%63%50%

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. 1 of the 3 gaps 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
25%83%
Gap 58 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%70%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 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.

A few spare places119 pupils for 133 places, 2024/25
90% full

About 14 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 9% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

How places were given out for September 2025. 22 families put it down as their first choice and 20 of them got in (91%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary2022222091%LA

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 roll136Census January 2026
Places16085% full
Pupils from low-income families34%34% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English29%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support20%27 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%0 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.65 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)33%£60,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls73 / 63
White British pupils54%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 21.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (9), Moderate learning difficulty (6), language and communications needs (6), Specific learning difficulty (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll136128130140147144
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals34%31%32%34%34%38%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language29%25%21%19%16%12%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%12%11%12%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school12.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.8%4.7%6.0%7.7%3.0%3.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.2%3.2%4.5%5.8%2.4%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%1.5%1.5%2.0%0.6%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence12.7%7.9%20.0%29.3%3.6%4.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.05.70.72.1
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.9full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher22.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,787
Teachers who left in the year30%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.52024/25

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£7,491England £7,738. Total £921k
Income per pupil£7,725England £7,697. Total £950k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,293England £3,480
Money in reserve8%Not much put by: £72k, £584 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£29kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,491spent 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 m62912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate175 per 1,000 people92% higher than the England average
Typical house price£175,000Doncaster
Nearest bus stop80 mArksey Lane/The Avenue, 15 stops within 500 m

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
Bentley New Village Primary SchoolCouncil530 m250No overall grade 20249Compare
Bentley High Street Primary SchoolAcademy600 m439No overall grade 202496Compare
Arksey Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles76Report card 202695Compare
Scawthorpe Castle Hills Primary AcademyAcademy0.9 miles276Not inspected85Compare
Kirkby Avenue Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles347No overall grade 202552Compare
Scawthorpe Sunnyfields Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles302Good 202242Compare
Scawsby Junior AcademyAcademy1.3 miles355No overall grade 202545Compare
Scawsby Saltersgate Infant SchoolCouncil1.3 miles308Good 202441Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats41%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 24 is 6 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 29 · highest 93100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 24 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 24% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 9 to 53. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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%below
-0.13
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 20 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.08
Ofsted report card, 0.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.01
DfE progress measure; 20 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.08
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.00
2024/25; 110 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 20 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 Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School scores 24 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 41% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 9 to 53, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 14 April 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as as expected.

How good are Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 60% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School have?

136 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 160 places, so it is 85% full.

Is Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 14 places were empty in 2024/25 (11% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 13% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 24.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Finkle Street, Bentley, Doncaster, DN5 0RP
Telephone
01302 874291
Website
www.ourladys.doncaster.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Yvonne Gac
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Hallam
Local authority
Doncaster
Ward
Bentley
Constituency
Doncaster North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
106770 · LAESTAB 3713315 · UKPRN 10078683

Where these figures come from