St Mary's Catholic Primary School is a primary school in Whitehaven, serving pupils aged 3 to 11. The school is a voluntary aided school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It has a roman catholic religious character.
St Mary's Catholic Primary School currently has around 190 pupils on roll, which is about 106% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 48.4% boys and 51.6% girls. Around 25.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 4.5%. Persistent absence is recorded at 8.2%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (83.2%).
Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | High Road, Whitehaven, CA28 9PG |
| Website: | www.kells-stmarys.cumbria.sch.uk/ |
| Telephone: | 0194666356 |
| School Type: | Voluntary aided school |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Cumberland |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Susan Starkie |
| Religious character: | Roman Catholic |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 112353 |
Ofsted inspection date: 07/05/2025
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 3 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 180 |
| Number of Pupils: | 190 |
| Number of Boys: | 92 |
| Number of Girls: | 98 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 4.5% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| White British | 83.20% | 158 |
| Other White | 4.70% | 9 |
| Indian | 4.20% | 8 |
| Other Mixed | 2.60% | 5 |
| White and Asian | 2.10% | 4 |
| African | 1.60% | 3 |
| Other Asian | 0.50% | 1 |
| Other Black | 0.50% | 1 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.50% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| White and Black African | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Unclassified | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School High Road , Kells CA28 9PG | - not rated | 0 yd | Voluntary aided school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Kells Infant School High Road , Kells CA28 9PQ | - not rated | 144 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Monkwray Junior School Monkwray Brow , CA28 9DT | 3out of 4 | 801 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Gregory and St Patrick's Catholic Infant School Esk Avenue , Corkickle CA28 8AJ | 3out of 4 | 1,451 yd | Voluntary aided school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Begh's Catholic Junior School Coach Road , CA28 7TE | 3out of 4 | 1,527 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Benedict's Catholic High School Red Lonning , Hensingham CA28 8UG | 3out of 4 | 2,845 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| The Whitehaven Academy Cleator Moor Road , CA28 8TY | 3out of 4 | 2,912 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Whitehaven Academy Cleator Moor Road , Hensingham CA28 8TY | - not rated | 2,912 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Whitehaven School Cleator Moor Road , Hensingham CA28 8TY | - not rated | 2,912 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College House Flatt Walks , CA28 7RW | - not rated | 1,628 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Mayfield School Campus Whitehaven , Red Lonning CA28 8UG | 4out of 4 | 3,139 yd | Community special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.