St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole

Primary · Academy converter · Ages 4–11 · Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Last distance offered · Reception 2026

Every applicant was offered a place

From Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council · offers on 16 April 2026

2023–2025 trend 🔒

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St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole is a primary school in Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole for ages 4–11 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Standards maintained, from the inspection on 20 November 2024. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2023 to 2026 entry.

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole catchment area: last distance offered

Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.

Entry	Last distance offered
Reception 2026	Every applicant was offered a place
Reception 2025	🔒 With a pass
Reception 2024	🔒 With a pass
Reception 2023	🔒 With a pass

What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment

What the figures show

In 2024/25, 58% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%), while 11% reached the higher standard (England 8%).
Every applicant was offered a Reception place in 2026, as at 35 of the 36 other Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole primary schools with a published Reception 2026 outcome.
For 2026 Reception entry, 31 first-choice applications for 33 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and 2 offers went to families who ranked it second or lower.
11.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals; the middle figure across the 8 nearest primary schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is 22.1%.

Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.

Key facts

Address: Devon Road, Poole, BH15 3QQ
Type: Academy converter
Phase: Primary
Ages: 4–11
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Council: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Pupils on roll: 379 January 2026 school census
Free school meals: 11.3% of pupils eligible
Pupils per teacher: 24.9

Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026

Ofsted

Standards maintained Inspected 20 November 2024

Strengths

“Pupils enjoy attending this happy and friendly school.”
“Regardless of need or ability, dedicated staff form trusting relationships with pupils.”
“They greet pupils with a smile as they arrive each day.”

To improve

“However, a few staff lack the subject expertise to teach early reading with enough precision.”
“Therefore, some pupils do not develop their phonics knowledge as quickly as they should.”
“However, a minority of pupils, including some with SEND, do not secure accurate letter and number formation.”

Safeguarding: Effective

Quoted from the Ofsted report published 20 December 2024 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Exam results

Measure	School	England
Key stage 2 · reading, writing and maths, expected standard (2024/25)	58%	62%

Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Applications and offers

2026 Reception entry: 31 first-preference applications, 33 offers in total, 31 offers to first-preference applicants.

Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.

Nearby primary schools

Straight-line distance, in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Ocean Academy Poole 0.2 mi School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next
Longfleet Church of England Primary School 0.3 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
Oakdale Junior School 0.5 mi Not judged
Stanley Green Infant Academy 0.7 mi School remains Good Last distance published
Canford Heath Infant School 0.8 mi Outstanding Last distance published
Canford Heath Junior School 0.8 mi School remains Good
Baden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior School 1.0 mi Standards maintained
Old Town Infant School and Nursery 1.1 mi Improved significantly Last distance published