School Chooser

St Kentigern's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic210 pupilsBlackpool
School Chooser Score
18
Below
similar schools
Likely range 7 to 40
Out of 100. Better than 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
Reached the expected level at 1142%England 63%
Attendance94.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families24%About the same as most schools in England
PlacesFull210 pupils, 202 places
Pupils per teacher23.6School workforce census
Pupils on roll210Census January 2026

St Kentigern's Catholic Primary School is a converter academy in Blackpool for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 210 pupils, 8 more than it has places for. About 24 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 18 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it.

Newton Drive, Blackpool, FY3 8BT01253 393302st-kentigern.blackpool.sch.ukMrs Christine Murray headteacherAll details

Ofsted

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1142%
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 score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 57%57%20172018: 46%46%20182019: 66%66%20192023: 47%47%20232024: 65%65%20242025: 42%42%2025
Since 2017: -15%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†BlackpoolEngland
Pupils tested313132292828
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths42%65%47%66%46%57%58%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%3%0%3%0%0%4%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0107.0103.0104.0103.0103.0104.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0105.0103.0106.0101.0104.0103.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0107.0104.0106.0102.0105.0104.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard77%84%59%86%71%75%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard61%90%75%83%64%82%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)71%71%53%66%54%61%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.6-1.1+0.6+1.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.0-0.1-0.9+1.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged13%50%67%50%38%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged52%70%42%70%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.

† These results are for St Kentigern's Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2022. 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. 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
13%52%
Gap 39 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
33%47%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
38%42%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 4 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.

Full211 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
101% full

The school is full, with 1 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.

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 Blackpool 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 roll210Census January 2026
Places202104% full
Pupils from low-income families24%24% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English32%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support19%40 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.07 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils29%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)20%£66,650 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls109 / 101
White British pupils51%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (26), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (10), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Physical disability (2), emotional and mental health (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll210214209210
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals24%23%23%22%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language32%29%29%28%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%13%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

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

Attendance94.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school12.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.2%5.5%5.4%4.7%2.5%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.8%3.6%3.8%3.5%1.9%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.5%1.9%1.6%1.2%0.6%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence12.9%15.5%16.4%11.4%5.0%8.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.40.00.01.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0000

† These attendance figures are for St Kentigern's Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2022. 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.

Teachers8.9full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher23.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,319
Teachers who left in the year19%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher9.82024/25

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£6,542England £7,128. Total £1.4m
Income per pupil£6,678England £7,587. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,150England £3,405
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £145k, £676 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£29kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,542spent 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 m1,02712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate148 per 1,000 people62% higher than the England average
Typical house price£135,000Blackpool
Nearest bus stop80 mCollingwood Avenue, 27 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
Devonshire Primary AcademyAcademy400 m451No overall grade 202435Compare
Blackpool St John's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England790 m207No overall grade 202559Compare
Revoe Learning AcademyAcademy0.8 miles436Good 202413Compare
Christ The King Catholic AcademyAcademy0.9 miles240Good 202241Compare
Layton Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles622Outstanding 202492Compare
Westminster Primary AcademyAcademy1.0 miles397Report card 202612Compare
St John Vianney's Catholic Primary School, BlackpoolAcademy1.0 miles451Good 202379Compare
Boundary Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles427Good 202244Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Kentigern's 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.

Beats13%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 18 is 29 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 6 · middle 47 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 18 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 18% 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 40. 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
-0.16
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 31 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.16
DfE progress measure; 31 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.00
2024/25; 186 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.13
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 31 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 Kentigern's Catholic Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. St Kentigern's Catholic Primary School scores 18 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 7 to 40, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

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

In summer 2025, 42% 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 St Kentigern's Catholic Primary School have?

210 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 202 places, so it is 104% full.

Is St Kentigern's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 1 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

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

Pupils were in school 94.8% 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 Kentigern's Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 30.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 29% 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
Newton Drive, Blackpool, FY3 8BT
Telephone
01253 393302
Website
www.st-kentigern.blackpool.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Christine Murray
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Lancaster
Multi-academy trust
The Blessed Edward Bamber Catholic Multi Academy Trust (20 schools)
Local authority
Blackpool
Ward
Brunswick
Constituency
Blackpool South
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2022 (academy converter)
URN
149262 · LAESTAB 8903626 · UKPRN 10090964
Formerly
St Kentigern's Catholic Primary School

Where these figures come from