School Chooser

St Edward's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic198 pupils Free breakfast clubSheernessKent
School Chooser Score
16
Below
similar schools
Likely range 7 to 32
Out of 100. Better than 44% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, September 2024
Reached the expected level at 1143%England 63%
Attendance92.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families58%Far more than most schools
Places12 spare198 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher18.3School workforce census

St Edward's Catholic Primary School is a sponsored academy in Sheerness for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 198 pupils and room for 210. About 58 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 16 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 44% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

New Road, Sheerness, ME12 1BW01795 662708st-edwards-sheerness.co.ukMr Sam Atkinson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 24 September 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Requires improvement
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1143%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level4%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score100.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 50%50%20172018: 79%79%20182019: 68%68%20192023: 27%27%20232024: 69%69%20242025: 43%43%2025
Since 2017: -7%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017KentEngland
Pupils tested282933282828
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths43%69%27%68%79%50%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths4%7%0%11%11%0%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0106.0100.0106.0109.0103.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score100.0104.098.0103.0103.0101.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0106.0100.0108.0106.0100.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard57%86%52%82%89%68%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard50%76%42%75%82%61%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)68%83%76%89%82%54%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.8+3.4+5.4+0.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.3+0.0+0.3-2.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged35%60%29%60%71%43%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged55%79%25%77%91%57%

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. 2 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
35%55%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
47%38%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
71%43%
Gap 28 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
6%4%
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 full195 pupils for 204 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 grown by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

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 Kent 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 roll198Census January 2026
Places21094% full
Pupils from low-income families58%58% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English14%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support29%58 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.37 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)57%£173,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls100 / 98
White British pupils67%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.3 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: language and communications needs (23), emotional and mental health (21), Moderate learning difficulty (12), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll198202203197181195
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals58%55%53%50%46%46%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language14%17%19%18%18%17%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support21%12%7%11%23%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%3%4%3%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school16.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils4.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.4%5.6%6.2%6.0%6.4%3.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.1%3.3%3.5%3.6%4.4%1.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.3%2.3%2.7%2.4%2.0%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence16.2%14.8%21.5%15.9%19.3%7.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate4.54.90.00.00.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers10.8full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher18.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers91%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,609
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.02024/25

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£6,950England £7,128. Total £1.4m
Income per pupil£8,074England £7,587. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,396England £3,405
Money in reserve25%A lot put by: £407k, £2,016 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£227kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,950spent 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 m1,08512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate180 per 1,000 people98% higher than the England average
Typical house price£310,000Swale
Nearest bus stop290 mMillennium Way, 13 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
Rose Street Primary SchoolCouncil200 m424No overall grade 202521Compare
West Minster Primary SchoolCouncil750 m473Report card 202565Compare
Richmond Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles246Good 202231Compare
Halfway Houses Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles498Good 202458Compare
Queenborough School and NurseryAcademy1.6 miles470Outstanding 202395Compare
St James Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy2.3 miles176Good 202318Compare
Thistle Hill AcademyAcademy2.5 miles349No overall grade 202418Compare
Minster in Sheppey Primary SchoolAcademy2.5 miles572Report card 202693Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Edward'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.

Beats44%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 16 is 7 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 22 · highest 76100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 16 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 16% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 7 to 32. 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
-0.23
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 28 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.11
Ofsted grade, 2.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.18
DfE progress measure; 28 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.12
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.10
2024/25; 185 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 28 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 Edward's Catholic Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. St Edward's Catholic Primary School scores 16 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 44% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 7 to 32, 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 St Edward's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Edward's Catholic Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 24 September 2024.

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

In summer 2025, 43% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 4% went further and reached the higher level.

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

198 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 94% full.

Is St Edward'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 Edward's Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 92.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 16% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Edward's Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 28.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does St Edward's 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
New Road, Sheerness, ME12 1BW
Telephone
01795 662708
Website
www.st-edwards-sheerness.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Sam Atkinson
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
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Southwark
Multi-academy trust
Kent Catholic Schools' Partnership (33 schools)
Local authority
Kent
Ward
Sheerness
Constituency
Sittingbourne and Sheppey
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 July 2016
URN
141386 · LAESTAB 8862054 · UKPRN 10047523
Formerly
St Edward's Catholic Primary School

Where these figures come from