School Chooser

Our Lady's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic212 pupilsAmershamBuckinghamshire
School Chooser Score
95
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 88 to 99
Out of 100. Better than 93% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
Reached the expected level at 1178%England 63%
Attendance97.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families11%Far fewer than most schools
Places6 spare212 pupils, 218 places
Pupils per teacher21.5School workforce census
Pupils on roll212Census January 2026

Our Lady's Catholic Primary School is a converter academy in Amersham for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 212 pupils and room for 218. About 11 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 95 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 93% of the 50 schools most like it.

Amersham Road, Chesham Bois, Amersham, HP6 5PL01494 726390olschesham.co.ukMr Mark Holdsworth headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1178%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level13%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score108.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 91%91%20172018: 88%88%20182019: 94%94%20192023: 84%84%20232024: 84%84%20242025: 78%78%2025
Since 2017: -13%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†BuckinghamshireEngland
Pupils tested323132323232
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths78%84%84%94%88%91%67%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths13%26%22%28%19%25%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0109.0110.0109.0108.0110.0107.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score108.0109.0108.0110.0109.0110.0105.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0111.0108.0112.0108.0110.0106.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard88%94%94%94%91%94%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard81%90%88%100%97%100%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)84%87%91%97%91%91%
Reading progressReading progress score+4.1+1.9+1.4+3.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.2+2.6+2.2+3.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged85%

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.

† These results are for Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced in December 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. None of the 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
50%85%
Gap 35 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
87%56%
Gap 31 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
86%78%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%13%
Gap 13 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.

Full212 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
101% full

The school is full, with 2 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary30all offeredLA
2025 Primary30all offeredLA
2024 Primary3046all offeredLA
2023 Primary1.8 milesLA
2022 Primaryall offeredLA
2021 Primaryall offeredLA

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 roll212Census January 2026
Places21897% full
Pupils from low-income families11%11% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English20%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support7%14 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.37 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils57%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)10%£32,550 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls103 / 109
White British pupils45%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 31.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (7), emotional and mental health (5), Hearing impairment (3), Specific learning difficulty (3), Moderate learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025202420232022
Pupils on roll212213212215213
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%10%10%11%8%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language20%22%24%23%23%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support8%7%9%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%4%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance97.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence2.6%4.0%3.7%5.1%2.1%2.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.3%3.2%3.2%4.7%2.0%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.3%0.8%0.5%0.4%0.1%0.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.7%8.2%6.7%8.9%2.1%1.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0000

† These attendance figures are for Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced in December 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.9full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher21.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants0.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£44,154
Teachers who left in the year10%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.82024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£6,620England £7,128. Total £1.4m
Income per pupil£6,887England £7,587. Total £1.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,380England £3,405
Money in reserve1%Very little put by: £10k, £49 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£57kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,620spent 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 m1712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate48 per 1,000 people47% lower than the England average
Typical house price£455,000Buckinghamshire
Nearest bus stop110 mThe Beacon School, 2 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
Waterside Primary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles225No overall grade 202419Compare
Chesham Bois Church of England SchoolAcademy0.7 miles218Good 202292Compare
Thomas Harding Junior SchoolAcademy0.7 miles238Report card 202675Compare
Elangeni SchoolCouncil0.9 miles240Good 202497Compare
Chestnut Lane SchoolCouncil1.0 miles206No overall grade 202589Compare
Woodside Junior SchoolAcademy1.3 miles240Good 202488Compare
St Mary's CofE Primary School, AmershamChurch of England1.4 miles303No overall grade 202593Compare
Elmtree Infant and Nursery SchoolAcademy1.5 miles160Not inspectedCompare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Our Lady's Catholic Primary School with the 45 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 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats93%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 95 is 25 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 15 · middle 70 · highest 98100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 95 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 95% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 88 to 99. 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%above
+0.30
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 32 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%well above
+0.31
DfE progress measure; 32 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.17
2024/25; 192 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.18
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 32 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's Catholic Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Our Lady's Catholic Primary School scores 95 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 93% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 88 to 99, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

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

In summer 2025, 78% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 13% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Our Lady's Catholic Primary School have?

212 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 218 places, so it is 97% full.

Is Our Lady's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 2 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 97.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 30.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 57% of classes 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
Amersham Road, Chesham Bois, Amersham, HP6 5PL
Telephone
01494 726390
Website
www.olschesham.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Mark Holdsworth
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Northampton
Multi-academy trust
St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust (18 schools)
Local authority
Buckinghamshire
Ward
Amersham & Chesham Bois
Constituency
Chesham and Amersham
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 December 2021 (academy converter)
URN
148673 · LAESTAB 8253375 · UKPRN 10088915
Formerly
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School

Where these figures come from