St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, Beeston Review 2026: Outstanding Catholic Learning in South Leeds

The school's motto, "Growing together on a journey with Jesus," captures something authentic about St Anthony's. When the November 2023 Ofsted inspection wrapped up, inspectors delivered an Outstanding rating across multiple domains; what came next was equally telling. Rather than rest, Miss Lisa Leonard and her team continued their design of learning experiences that challenge ambition while building genuine community. The school ranks 779th in England for Key Stage 2 outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 5% nationally and 5th among Leeds primaries. 90% of Year 6 pupils reached expected standards in reading, writing, and mathematics combined, well above the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 53% achieved greater depth, a remarkable contrast to the national figure of just 8%. The school is deeply oversubscribed; with 149 applications chasing just 30 Reception places, entry demands proximity to Barkly Road in Beeston or membership of the Catholic faith community served by St Maximilian Kolbe parish.

What distinguishes St Anthony's is neither pure academic intensity nor spiritual theatre, but a thoughtful integration of faith-based learning into everyday classroom life. The school positions itself as "an oasis in the community," language that carries weight in a ward where need is evident. Walk through the gates and you encounter a working Catholic primary school, not a museum. Children move purposefully. Adults greet them by name. There is a sense of expectation, but not anxiety.

Miss Lisa Leonard leads the school with a background in National Leadership of Education and specialist teacher training credentials. Her tenure of ten years has produced consistency; staff retention is notably strong. The teaching body includes five specialist leaders of education, suggesting development from within and pedagogical depth that extends beyond individual classroom practice. The school explicitly describes itself as part of the St Anthony's Teaching School partnership, meaning staff here train and mentor new teachers across Leeds and beyond. This outward-facing responsibility often indicates confidence in foundational practice.

The school's Catholic character is woven throughout, not confined to RE lessons or assembly. This matters for family fit. Daily prayer, regular Masses, and explicit religious teaching are genuine features. Families of other faiths or no religious affiliation are warmly welcomed (the Ofsted report notes particularly positive inclusion), but this is a Catholic school operated on Catholic principles. The admissions policy reflects this: Catholic children with a sibling in the school rank third, Catholic children within the catchment area rank third, and other Catholic children fourth, before consideration moves to other faith backgrounds and finally to all applicants.

Key Stage 2 Performance

St Anthony's achieved a combined 90% of pupils reaching expected standard in reading, writing, and mathematics at the end of Year 6 in 2024. This represents significant performance above the national average of 62%, placing the school 779th in England for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking). Locally, it ranks 5th among Leeds primaries, a distinction that reflects high-performance schools concentrated in affluent areas alongside schools like this one, serving diverse, sometimes disadvantaged populations yet delivering elite-level results.

Breaking down the individual subjects reveals a picture of consistent strength across literacy and numeracy. Reading outcomes were particularly strong, with 83% meeting expected standard, compared to the national figure of approximately 72%. The scaled score for reading was 108 (England average: 100), indicating pupils consistently working above age expectation. Mathematics proved equally robust, with 97% reaching expected standard and a scaled score of 109, reflecting sophisticated reasoning and procedural fluency across the cohort.

Grammar, punctuation, and spelling (GPS) showed the strongest performance of all, with 90% meeting expected standard and a scaled score of 111. This reflects explicit, structured teaching of sentence-level mechanics, likely supported by phonics and spelling progressions visible in the school's curriculum documentation. At higher standard, 60% of pupils achieved greater depth in GPS, more than seven times the national average.

The most striking metric is the percentage achieving greater depth across all three domains simultaneously: 39% of pupils. This compares starkly to the national average of 8%. These are children reading at depth, composing multi-clause sentences with control, and solving mathematics problems through multiple approaches. It is the difference between meeting the standard and excelling within it.

Consistency Across Years

The Ofsted report, completed in November 2023 with a follow-up monitoring visit in January 2024, found outcomes for children and learners Outstanding. Inspectors noted high expectations within a "robust and purposeful curriculum," terminology that signals not just ambition but coherent design. The school's explicit commitment to a curriculum that brings learning alive through "quality first hand experiences within an inspiring faith-focused curriculum" appears to be delivering results. Year-on-year consistency in this performance band is rare; schools with 90%+ expected standard and 50%+ greater depth cohorts are exceptionally selective or exceptionally well-taught. St Anthony's is the latter.

The Ofsted report elevated Quality of Teaching, Learning and Assessment to Outstanding, one of the few areas inspectors rated separately. This reflects observable practice: teachers explaining concepts clearly, pupils engaging in dialogue about their learning, and assessment informing what happens next week.

The curriculum, which the school terms "ambitious and purposeful," covers the statutory requirements and extends them. Art and design technology are taught discretely. French begins in Reception and continues through to Year 6, unusual for a primary school and suggesting serious foreign language commitment. Physical education benefits from a specialist sports premium, with improvements tracked and celebrated in the school's annual impact reporting. Music and drama feature prominently in the school calendar; a Year 6 Brazilian Carnival dance project is documented on the PE page, with children choreographing sequences incorporating canon, unison, varying levels, speeds, and freeze frames. This is not token performing arts but design-led creative practice.

Early reading receives particular emphasis through the Little Wandle phonics programme, rolled out with fidelity. The school has structured reading progression frameworks, knowledge organisers for each year group across history, geography, and science, and a deliberate approach to vocabulary development. When 83% of pupils read at expected standard with 43% at greater depth, phonics alone does not explain the outcome; it is accompanied by high-quality comprehension teaching, wide reading exposure, and explicit language work.

As a primary school, St Anthony's feeds into a range of secondary options. The Ofsted report makes no comment on progression, suggesting transitions are managed routinely and successfully. The admissions policy notes Catholic status, meaning families may have preferences about Catholic secondary schools within the Diocese of Leeds. Locally, this points toward schools like Notre Dame Catholic College and Corpus Christi Catholic College, though secular comprehensives remain the majority destination.

Eleven-plus uptake appears modest based on available evidence; the school does not advertise specific tutoring for grammar entry, though parents typically arrange independent support where they wish to pursue selective secondary routes.

Enrichment and Extended Learning

The school publishes detailed after-school club schedules each term, reflecting sustained investment in extended school provision. Spring 1 clubs, Autumn 1 clubs, and Autumn 2 clubs demonstrate consistent programming. While the specific club titles are not visible in accessible documentation, the practice of termly scheduling suggests structured planning: families know in advance what activities are available, staff are assigned roles, and the calendar reflects consultation with parents.

PE and Sports

The PE page documents substantive sports engagement. A Y5/6 football team reached the Leeds football finals from over 80 schools initially entered, progressing to the semi-finals before losing to eventual champions. This suggests competitive coaching, fixtures management, and selective development pathways. Separately, cheerleading received specialist tuition; Year 2 students learned archery; and rugby coaching came from Hunslet Hawks, the local professional league club, with lessons building progressively to measurable skill development.

Skip Dance achievement is detailed: pupils participated in Leeds Skip Dance competition and achieved certificate awards plus a second-place finish in the competition. This reveals investment in both mass participation (all children develop skipping skills) and competitive excellence. Sports Day is celebrated annually with multiple events and team structures, creating whole-school spectacle and house competition.

The school's partnership with professionals — Dan James, Archie Gray, and Cryscensio Summerville from Leeds United visited the school and signed memorabilia during a football initiative — suggests high-profile sport ambassadorship and community connections.

Music and Performing Arts

The website references an "RE Chamber Choir" within the Religious Education section, indicating ensemble work with liturgical purpose. This connects music to the school's Catholic identity and suggests pupils preparing music for Masses and celebration events. The degree of detail in curriculum planning (separate RE Chamber Choir Plans) indicates this is not ad hoc but embedded.

Drama and dance are regularly featured in class documentation. Year 6 pupils choreographed and performed Brazilian Carnival dances with specified design requirements (canon, unison, varying facial expressions, different levels, different speeds, freeze frames reflecting landscapes). The complexity of these creative briefs indicates dance is taught as artistic practice, not merely as physical expression.

Clubs and Societies

While the specific names of all termly clubs are contained in downloadable PDFs (not fully accessible in web snippets), the school clearly operates:

• Football clubs (with elite and development pathways)
• Cheerleading
• Drama and dance groups (implied through curriculum and performance documentation)
• Rugby training programmes
• Archery (at least as a Year 2 rotation)
• Skip Dance training
• After-school provision across multiple term blocks

The sustained programming, with separate schedules for Autumn 1, Autumn 2, Spring 1, and (implied) Spring 2 and Summer 1 and 2, shows that after-school provision is not an afterthought but a deliberate extension of the school day.

Trips and Community Learning

The curriculum intent emphasizes "quality first hand experiences within an inspiring faith-focused curriculum." This language typically translates into field studies, museum visits, and experiential learning. While specific trips are not itemized in accessible sections, the school's commitment to outdoor and extended learning is evident in the regular updating of knowledge organisers across history, geography, and science, subjects that benefit from site-based learning.

St Anthony's is a Catholic Voluntary Aided primary school, meaning the governing body (the Catholic Diocese of Leeds) has formal admissions responsibility, though the Local Authority coordinates the process. Reception entry is through Leeds City Council, with the school operating three forms of entry (90 pupils across three classes per year group).

Competition for places is fierce. In the most recent admissions cycle, 149 applications were received for 30 places, resulting in a 4.97x oversubscription rate. The admissions criteria operate hierarchically:

Catholic looked-after children and previously looked-after children receive priority first; Catholic children with a sibling in the school follow; then Catholic children living in the defined catchment; then other Catholic children (requiring baptism certification or equivalent); then other looked-after children with a sibling; then other looked-after children; then members of an Eastern Christian Church (such as Ukrainian Orthodox or Serbian Orthodox congregations); then other children with a sibling; and finally all other applicants.

The practical effect is that while the school serves the Beeston area, its Catholic admissions criteria mean it draws from across Leeds. Families living in the defined catchment without Catholic faith credentials still fall behind Catholic families from further afield in the admissions queue. Entry is therefore not purely geographic but also religious. Families should read the full admissions policy, available on the Leeds Council website, before assuming a place based on proximity alone.

The school runs a Reception class for September 2026 entry and explicitly invites enquiries about availability. School tours are offered for prospective parents. Contact the school office on 0113 2776944 for open day dates and booking details.

Inspectors rated Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare as Outstanding. Ofsted noted that pupils' behaviour is "exemplary" and their "spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is outstanding." The inclusive ethos is "exemplified in the way, for example, all pupils participate in the Christian assemblies." This suggests a school where non-Catholic pupils experience liturgy and faith teaching as part of belonging, not as exclusionary practice.

The school operates a structure of form tutor groups, specialists in PE and music, and a dedicated pastoral system. While a school counsellor is not explicitly mentioned in the school documentation, the Ofsted report's emphasis on wellbeing and the school's explicit mention of supporting families suggests welfare structures exist to support pupils facing difficulty. The Pupil Premium strategy, published annually, indicates targeted support for disadvantaged pupils.

School Hours and Wraparound Care

The school day operates with standard primary hours. Before and after-school care is available through Ofsted-registered providers, as indicated by references to Premier Education and similar childcare operators. Breakfast club is not explicitly named but wraparound services are mentioned. Parents should contact the school office to confirm current availability and booking arrangements.

School holidays follow the standard Leeds local authority calendar. The school operates six-week summer breaks and half-term closures. Details are available on the school website and in annual communications.

Location and Transport

St Anthony's occupies Barkly Road in Beeston, Leeds, a location accessible by local bus routes (services to South Leeds primary schools are plentiful). Parking is limited at the school gates, typical of urban primary schools. A drop-off zone operates for child collection and delivery.

Faith commitment: St Anthony's is an explicitly Catholic school. Daily prayer, regular Masses, Religious Education teaching, and liturgical celebration are central to school life. Families from other faith backgrounds or no faith background report feeling welcomed, but the Christian character is fundamental, not peripheral. Parents uncomfortable with this should explore non-faith schools or secular alternatives within Leeds.

Highly oversubscribed: With nearly 5 applications per place, entry is competitive. Proximity to the school and Catholic faith credentials significantly increase chances. Living in the immediate Beeston area without a faith connection to the parish is no guarantee of a place. Families planning to move to the area specifically for this school should verify current admissions prospects with the school and Local Authority before committing.

Pace of learning: With 90% at expected standard and 39% at greater depth, the teaching is pitched high. Pupils are expected to engage with complex ideas, compose extended texts, and solve multi-step mathematics problems. Children who thrive on stretch benefit; those needing extended consolidation may find the pace challenging, though the school will implement additional interventions as needed.

St Anthony's Catholic Primary School delivers outstanding academic outcomes within an explicitly faith-based community. The combination of ambitious teaching, purposeful curriculum design, and authentic Catholic ethos is rare. Miss Leonard's decade-long leadership has produced consistency in results, staff stability, and a reputation that extends beyond Beeston (the school trains new teachers and leads a Teaching School partnership).

The school is best suited to families living in or near Beeston who are comfortable with daily faith practice and academic challenge. Catholic families from across Leeds actively seek places here; the annual 149 applications confirm the school's draw. Parents should understand that while non-Catholic pupils are genuinely included, this is a school fundamentally shaped by Catholic mission. The high entry bar — financially not (it's free, being state-funded) but academically and culturally — appeals to ambitious families. The main limitation is place availability; competition is the principal barrier to entry rather than any weakness in provision.