St Gerard's RC Junior and Infant School Review 2026: A Catholic primary with unusually strong KS2 outcomes

In Castle Vale, this Catholic primary has a clear identity and a practical, day to day focus on learning. Nursery provision starts at age three, then most children move through to Reception and up to Year 6 on a one form entry model. The site is more interesting than many schools of its size, with Katie’s Garden for outdoor lessons and a Peace Garden set aside for prayer and quiet reflection.

Academically, the headline is the 2024 Key Stage 2 picture. A very high proportion of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, and a sizeable minority reached the higher standard too. Admission is competitive, with significantly more applications than Reception places.

St Gerard’s describes its mission in explicitly Catholic terms, and that comes through in both the language used around school life and the way pupils are encouraged to treat one another. The mission statement, repeated across school communications, is framed around living, loving, learning and praying together, with Christ and St Gerard as reference points.

The setting has a purposeful, calm feel in the way routines are described and reinforced. The published material places a strong emphasis on consistency, from early years practice through to Year 6 expectations. That is paired with visible care for children’s confidence and sense of belonging, particularly for families who need extra support. The school also sets out a detailed Early Help approach, including signposting and structured support when home circumstances are affecting attendance, routines, or wellbeing.

Leadership has also been through a change point recently. Mrs Katrina Bannister joined as headteacher in April 2023, following a period with acting headteacher arrangements. The tone from the headteacher’s welcome is personal, direct, and partnership focused, with an explicit invitation for parents and carers to speak with school leaders when issues arise.

Faith practice is not treated as an add on. A later Catholic Schools Inspectorate report (published in 2025) grades Catholic life and mission, religious education, and collective worship at the top grade level used in that framework, and describes prayer and liturgy as integrated into the rhythm of the school. That is relevant context for families who want a distinctly Catholic education, and equally for families who prefer a lighter touch.

The cleanest way to understand this school academically is through its Key Stage 2 outcomes and how those compare across England.

In 2024, 85.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. The England average in the same measure is 62%. That gap is large enough to matter for families choosing between local primaries, because it suggests far more pupils are leaving Year 6 ready for the secondary curriculum in core subjects.

At the higher standard, 25.67% reached greater depth in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 8%. That points to stretch as well as secure basics, an important distinction in schools where progress is sometimes driven by intervention alone.

The scaled scores reinforce that picture. Reading is 107, maths is 106, and grammar, punctuation and spelling is 109. On top of that, 87% reached the expected standard in reading, 87% in GPS, and 83% in maths, with science particularly strong at 97% at the expected standard.

Rankings align with the outcomes. Ranked 2699th in England and 48th in Birmingham for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), performance sits above England average, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of primary schools in England. For parents comparing several Birmingham primaries at once, the FindMySchool Local Hub and comparison tools can help you view these figures side by side, rather than relying on impressions from a single visit.

The strongest evidence points to a school that prioritises core foundations early, then builds breadth without losing grip of routines.

Early reading is treated as a daily entitlement. The phonics approach is described as structured and regularly checked, with extra teaching for pupils who fall behind. That emphasis is likely to appeal to parents who want a clear, systematic approach rather than a loosely defined “love of books” message.

Maths is described as building lesson by lesson, with careful attention to the steps pupils need before tackling more complex content. It is also a school that sees curriculum sequencing as a work in progress. External review commentary notes that some subjects were further along than others, and that staff expertise in a small number of areas needed further development so pupils build knowledge in a more coherent order across the full curriculum.

In Key Stage 2, the curriculum broadens intentionally, and there is explicit local context work, with pupils taught about Castle Vale and Birmingham, as well as trips and visitors designed to widen experience beyond the immediate area. This matters in a community primary where families often want children to feel proud of where they live, while still seeing a bigger world.

This is a Birmingham primary, so Year 7 destinations depend heavily on the coordinated admissions process and parental preference. What St Gerard’s does make clear is that it has established links with Greenwood Academy. Pupils, particularly in Key Stage 2, have opportunities to visit Greenwood for performances, extra lessons, or to use sports facilities. Transition support is also described, including additional mornings for some Year 6 pupils and workshops focused on readiness for secondary expectations.

As a Catholic school, families will often also look at Catholic secondary options. School communications reference St Edmund Campion as a local secondary that pupils have visited for performances and events, which gives a flavour of the wider network children may encounter.

Practically, the best approach is to treat Year 6 as two tracks running in parallel. One track is academic and pastoral readiness, including work on staying safe and managing the social shift to secondary. The other is the application process, where parents should check Birmingham’s deadlines and ensure preferences reflect realistic travel and admissions criteria.

Reception admissions sit within Birmingham’s coordinated process, but as a voluntary aided Catholic school there is an additional layer. Parents apply through the local authority and must also complete a Supplementary Information Form for the school by the same closing date for their child to be considered under the Catholic oversubscription priorities.

The published admissions arrangements for 2026 to 2027 make the approach explicit. Priority is given first to baptised Catholic children, with looked after and previously looked after children placed at the top of that Catholic category. Parish connection and siblings then matter within Catholic categories, followed by other Catholic applicants, then looked after children who are not Catholic, then other Christian denominations, then other applicants. Where a tie break is needed within a category, distance to the school is used.

Demand is real. For the relevant admissions cycle captured there were 76 applications for 30 offers for the main primary entry route, which is about 2.5 applications per place. First preference demand also exceeded the number of first preference offers. In practice, that means many families will need a strong Plan B list, particularly if they are not in the highest priority categories.

For families trying to shortlist sensibly, it helps to use distance and criteria tools rather than gut feel. FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful here, because it allows you to check your likely proximity and then sanity check that against how oversubscribed local Catholic primaries tend to be.

Pastoral support is written about in practical terms rather than slogans. The school is part of Operation Encompass, a scheme that shares information with schools after police attended incidents of domestic abuse, so staff can provide timely support the next school day. It is a clear signal that safeguarding is treated as an active system, not only a policy folder.

The Early Help offer is also unusually detailed for a primary website. It sets out a broad range of concerns families might raise, and it explains that support can begin informally before moving into structured assessment and multi agency involvement where needed. For parents, this is often the difference between a school that listens and a school that can actually coordinate support.

Safeguarding is a strength in the evidence base too. The latest Ofsted inspection activity in March 2023 confirmed that the school remains Good, and it stated that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

This is not a school that relies on vague claims about enrichment. The clubs and extra activities are spelt out with enough specificity for parents to picture what their child might actually do at lunchtime or after school.

There are faith and service strands that are distinctly Catholic. CAFOD Club is explicitly linked to the Live Simply award and to practical work around caring for the planet. Mini Vinnies is also named in staffing responsibilities, which will be familiar to Catholic families as a child friendly service and social action programme.

Music has structured opportunities rather than being left to chance. Recorder Club runs at lunchtimes for older pupils and is linked to accompanying singing during Masses. Choir and Guitar club are also listed, and the prospectus describes auditions for choir from Key Stage 2, which adds a small but meaningful sense of seriousness.

Sport is broad and led by a mix of staff and coaches. The enrichment programme lists Tri golf, dodgeball, basketball, boxercise, tennis and athletics alongside more familiar team sports. The school also highlights gymnastics provision from an expert teacher. The useful implication for parents is that this is likely to suit children who are not naturally drawn to a single team sport, because there are multiple entry points.

Trips and visitors are used to widen horizons. Examples include Key Stage 2 work linked to museum visits and local history learning, rather than trips being treated as end of term entertainment.

The gates open at 8.40am, with registration from 8.50am, and the school day ends at 3.20pm. Nursery provision is on site, and the school describes early years practice as including both adult guided and child initiated learning, with a focus on personal, social and emotional development alongside early literacy.

Wraparound care varies between schools and providers. The published prospectus describes before and after school facilities delivered via an external provider that brings pupils to school and collects at the end of the day. Families should confirm current arrangements and availability directly, particularly for September 2026 entry.

On travel, the school’s own guidance highlights congestion and considerate parking as a safety issue around the start and end of the day, and it encourages walking where possible. If you rely on driving, allow extra time for a safer drop off routine.

• Catholic admissions priority matters. In an oversubscribed year, the priority categories in the admissions policy become the deciding factor. Families without Catholic baptism evidence, parish connection, or a sibling in school should plan on strong alternatives.

• Competition for Reception places. With roughly 2.5 applications per place in the most recent data, offers will not match demand. That can create stress for families who only list one or two realistic options.

• Curriculum consistency is still being refined in places. External review evidence highlights that some subjects were at an earlier stage of implementation, with staff expertise needing development so content builds more logically. Parents of children with particular subject interests may want to ask how consistency is ensured beyond maths and early reading.

• Faith life is central. Prayer, liturgy, and Catholic social teaching are woven through the school’s identity. Families who want a broadly Christian ethos will often like this; families who prefer a more secular approach may find it a poor fit.

For a Birmingham Catholic primary, St Gerard’s stands out for two reasons: the clarity of its identity, and the strength of its Key Stage 2 outcomes compared with England averages. It suits families who want a distinctly Catholic education, with structured early reading and strong results, and who are comfortable engaging with the supplementary faith based admissions process. The main challenge is admission rather than school quality, so families should shortlist widely and use tools to check criteria and practical travel realities.