School Chooser

St Bernard's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 5-11MixedRoman Catholic393 pupilsBirmingham
School Chooser Score
72
Above
similar schools
Likely range 54 to 85
Out of 100. Better than 77% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, October 2022
Reached the expected level at 1172%England 63%
Attendance94.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families38%Far more than most schools
Places27 spare393 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher20.8School workforce census

St Bernard's Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Birmingham for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 393 pupils and room for 420. About 38 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 72 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 77% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Wake Green Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9QE0121 464 3795st-bernards.bham.sch.ukMr Peter Foley headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 19 October 2022 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1172%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 80%80%20172018: 81%81%20182019: 85%85%20192023: 75%75%20232024: 68%68%20242025: 72%72%2025
Since 2017: -8%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017BirminghamEngland
Pupils tested586357605960
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths72%68%75%85%81%80%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%10%9%5%5%10%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0107.0106.0108.0107.0105.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0107.0106.0108.0107.0108.0104.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score111.0111.0109.0113.0111.0109.0106.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard84%83%82%88%88%82%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%84%86%95%95%92%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)81%79%79%92%90%88%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.3+2.6+0.4+0.9
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.1+2.7+1.1+3.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged66%73%83%95%88%73%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged79%67%70%80%79%82%

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. 3 of the 4 gaps are 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
66%79%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
71%74%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
62%72%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 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.

Nearly full404 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
96% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

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 roll393Census January 2026
Places42094% full
Pupils from low-income families38%38% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English45%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%54 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.114 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils14%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)35%£220,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls185 / 208
White British pupils12%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.9 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (27), Moderate learning difficulty (12), emotional and mental health (11), Autistic spectrum disorder (6), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll393404413412405409
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals38%37%29%28%25%25%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language45%49%46%55%60%62%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%11%9%8%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.02024/25, 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 absence5.3%5.9%7.4%6.7%5.6%4.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.8%4.1%5.8%5.4%3.6%3.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%1.9%1.6%1.3%2.0%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.2%16.2%26.4%21.3%14.7%10.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.01.50.20.30.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers18.9full-time equivalent, 21 people
Pupils per teacher20.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£45,544
Teachers who left in the year12%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.32023/24

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£6,901England £7,738. Total £2.8m
Income per pupil£7,609England £7,697. Total £3.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,514England £3,480
Money in reserve13%A healthy amount put by: £399k, £989 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£286kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,901spent 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 m36312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate78 per 1,000 people15% lower 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
Springfield Primary AcademyAcademy790 m443Good 202344Compare
Yorkmead Junior and Infant SchoolAcademy0.7 milesGood 2023Compare
Hall Green Infant SchoolCouncil0.8 miles407Good 202353Compare
Hall Green Junior SchoolCouncil0.8 miles482Report card 202672Compare
St John's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles451No overall grade 202532Compare
Billesley Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles699Not inspected75Compare
English Martyrs' Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.0 miles295Good 202356Compare
Al-Furqan Primary SchoolMuslim1.0 miles629Good 202382Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Bernard's Catholic Primary School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats77%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 72 is 25 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 48 · highest 99100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 72 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 72% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 54 to 85. 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
+0.09
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 58 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.09
DfE progress measure; 58 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.01
2024/25; 365 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 58 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 St Bernard's Catholic Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Bernard's Catholic Primary School scores 72 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 77% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 54 to 85, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Bernard's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Bernard's Catholic Primary School good at its last full inspection on 19 October 2022.

How good are St Bernard's Catholic Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 72% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Bernard's Catholic Primary School have?

393 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 94% full.

Is St Bernard's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at St Bernard's Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.7% 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 St Bernard's Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 26.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 14% 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
Wake Green Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9QE
Telephone
0121 464 3795
Website
www.st-bernards.bham.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Peter Foley
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Birmingham
Local authority
Birmingham
Ward
Moseley
Constituency
Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
103462 · LAESTAB 3303375 · UKPRN 10079458

Where these figures come from