School Chooser

St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic457 pupilsNurseryNewcastleStaffordshire
School Chooser Score
80
Above
similar schools
Likely range 62 to 90
Out of 100. Better than 66% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1172%England 63%
Attendance96.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull457 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher24.7School workforce census
Pupils on roll457Census January 2026

St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School is a converter academy in Newcastle for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 457 pupils, 37 more than it has places for. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 80 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 66% of the 50 schools most like it.

Church Lane, Wolstanton, Newcastle, ST5 0EF01782 973722st-wulstans.staffs.sch.ukMrs Emma Walker headteacherAll details

Ofsted

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

60 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 score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 79%79%20172018: 80%80%20182019: 66%66%20192023: 75%75%20232024: 81%81%20242025: 72%72%2025
Since 2017: -7%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017†StaffordshireEngland
Pupils tested605956585961
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths72%81%75%66%80%79%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%3%16%14%14%20%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0108.0108.0106.0108.0107.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0108.0108.0107.0107.0107.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0110.0109.0106.0108.0108.0105.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard87%88%86%83%88%90%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard90%93%91%86%90%87%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)82%83%77%79%86%85%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.0+1.7+1.7+0.4
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.9+2.6+2.2+0.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged60%90%57%80%69%55%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged74%80%78%63%83%84%

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 Wulstan's Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2017. 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 3 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
60%74%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
66%79%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 5 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 full406 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
97% 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 Staffordshire 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 roll457Census January 2026
Places420109% full
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English13%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support10%46 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.515 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils7%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)6%£40,300 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls228 / 229
White British pupils77%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.4 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (11), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (10), Moderate learning difficulty (8), emotional and mental health (8), Specific learning difficulty (8), language and communications needs (5).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll457406410386393396
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%8%11%10%9%5%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language13%12%11%9%10%10%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%9%9%6%6%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school4.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.22024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.6%4.0%4.0%4.0%2.2%3.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%3.3%3.3%3.4%2.0%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.5%0.7%0.7%0.6%0.1%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence4.4%4.7%5.0%5.4%3.7%2.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.21.20.80.51.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00001

Staff and money

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

Teachers18.5full-time equivalent, 23 people
Pupils per teacher24.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants19.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£41,747
Teachers who left in the year5%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.12024/25

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£6,404England £7,128. Total £2.6m
Income per pupil£6,586England £7,587. Total £2.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,798England £3,405
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £157k, £388 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£74kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,404spent 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 m45312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate90 per 1,000 peopleabout the England average
Typical house price£195,000Newcastle-under-Lyme
Nearest bus stop110 mGrange Lane, 10 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
St Margaret's CofE (VC) Junior SchoolChurch of England180 m222Good 202376Compare
Ellison Primary AcademyAcademy520 m329Good 202342Compare
May Bank Infants' SchoolCouncil570 m173Good 202370Compare
Hempstalls Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles501No overall grade 202463Compare
Etruscan Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles443No overall grade 20245Compare
St Peter's Catholic AcademyAcademy1.1 miles238No overall grade 202458Compare
Sun Academy BradwellAcademy1.2 miles167Good 202468Compare
Harpfield Primary AcademyAcademy1.3 miles226Not inspected61Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats66%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 80 is 10 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 70 · highest 99100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 80 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 80% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 62 to 90. 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
+0.18
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 60 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.19
DfE progress measure; 60 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.14
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.15
2024/25; 361 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 60 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 Wulstan's Catholic Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School scores 80 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 66% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 62 to 90, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

How good are St Wulstan'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 Wulstan's Catholic Primary School have?

457 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 109% full.

Is St Wulstan'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 Wulstan's Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 4% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

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

The average class had 30.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 7% 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
Church Lane, Wolstanton, Newcastle, ST5 0EF
Telephone
01782 973722
Website
www.st-wulstans.staffs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Emma Walker
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Birmingham
Multi-academy trust
St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (64 schools)
Local authority
Staffordshire
Ward
Wolstanton
Constituency
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2017 (academy converter)
URN
143352 · LAESTAB 8603466 · UKPRN 10057671
Formerly
St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School

Where these figures come from