St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Chiswick Review 2026: Catholic primary with strong KS2 outcomes

St Mary’s is a one-form entry Catholic primary in Chiswick (ages 3 to 11), with a small-school feel and an explicitly faith-led identity. The cohort size and published capacity point to a school designed to stay personal rather than sprawling, which tends to suit families who value close relationships and clear routines.

Academic outcomes are a headline strength. In the latest published Key Stage 2 results 88.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, well above the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 31.67% reached greater depth, compared with 8% across England. The school’s primary outcomes rank 2,751st in England and 19th in Hounslow (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

Admission is the hard part. In the most recently recorded Reception entry route, there were 84 applications for 30 offers, around 2.8 applications per place.

The tone here is anchored in Catholic life, not as a bolt-on but as the lens through which assemblies, service, and leadership opportunities are framed. The school’s own language centres on a family ethos, and the Catholic Life area sets out structured worship and pupil participation in prayer through class and key stage gatherings, including Mass for older pupils at points in the year.

Student voice and responsibility show up repeatedly across the website. Pupils can take on roles such as House Captains, Eco-Warriors, and school councillors, and the GIFT (Growing In Faith Together) Team is positioned as a pupil-facing ministry focused on scripture and community. In practice, that mix often appeals to families who want leadership to be taught explicitly, not left to confident children to self-select.

Leadership is stable and clearly presented. The headteacher is Ms Elizabeth Keane, who is also listed on the staff page as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). Public sources also indicate she joined as headteacher in September 2023, so the current direction is still relatively new and worth probing in open mornings if you are trying to understand priorities and pace of change.

The latest Ofsted inspection (June 2023) judged the school Good overall, with Outstanding for Personal Development, and Good grades across Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Leadership and Management, and Early Years.

This is a results-positive primary, and the numbers have real bite for a small school.

In the latest published Key Stage 2 outcomes:

• 88.67% met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with the England average of 62%.

• 31.67% achieved the higher standard (greater depth) in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with 8% across England.

• Science was also strong, with 86% meeting the expected standard, above the England average of 82%.

Scaled scores reinforce the same story. Reading averaged 109, mathematics 106, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 107, with a combined total score of 322. (These are presented here as the latest published figures and should be read alongside cohort size in any given year.)

Rankings provide a useful reality check against other schools. St Mary’s ranks 2,751st in England and 19th in Hounslow for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). That places performance above the England average, comfortably within the top quarter of schools nationally.

Implication for parents: this level of attainment tends to reflect effective core teaching, strong basics, and consistency across the cohort. It can also correlate with high expectations around reading practice, spelling routines, and the “little and often” consolidation that makes KS2 feel manageable rather than stressful.

Curriculum intent is framed in a fairly traditional way: strong foundations in English and maths, then breadth through humanities, arts, sport, and a clear Catholic RE programme. The curriculum overview also states that specialist teachers deliver PE, Music and Italian across the school, with Italian taught in Key Stage 2. That matters because it often leads to higher consistency and progression, particularly in music and languages where non-specialists can feel less confident.

Early reading is treated as a priority rather than a compliance exercise. The phonics page stresses daily sessions and explicit teaching of sounds and graphemes, with a clear emphasis on practice and accurate letter formation. At the other end, the English curriculum highlights school-wide literacy moments such as World Book Day and National Poetry Day, plus classroom reading areas that support independent choice.

A quieter but significant thread is assessment and how staff think about “impact”. The curriculum pages reference statutory assessments and internal checks, which, when paired with the KS2 outcomes, suggests a school comfortable with data but not defined by it. For families, that typically translates into structured teaching and clear feedback, while still making room for enrichment and pupil responsibility.

As a Catholic primary with strong local connections, transition is best understood as a mix of local state secondaries, Catholic options, and independent destinations for families who choose that route.

The school publishes a list of Year 6 leavers’ destinations (without numbers). State destinations listed include Chiswick School, Gunnersbury Catholic School, Gumley House Catholic School FCJ, Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, Cardinal Wiseman School, London Oratory School, Sacred Heart High School, and West London Free School. Independent destinations listed include Godolphin and Latymer School, Lady Eleanor Holles School, Latymer Upper School, Notting Hill and Ealing High School, St Benedict’s School, and St Catherine’s School.

Implication for parents: there is no single default “feeder” pathway. Instead, families appear to use St Mary’s as a strong base for several plausible routes, including Catholic secondary education, local mixed comprehensives, and selective or independent options where that fits.

St Mary’s is a voluntary aided school in the Diocese of Westminster, and admissions are explicitly shaped by that identity. The admissions page states that anyone may apply, but Catholic children are prioritised as the school exists primarily to serve the Catholic community.

For Reception entry for September 2026, the school sets out a two-part process:

1. Apply through your local authority online system, with the application window opening in September 2025 and closing on 15 January 2026.

2. Submit the school’s Reception Supplementary Information Form by the same deadline.

The page also states that, for certain Catholic criteria, families should obtain a Certificate of Catholic Practice from their priest, and provide the child’s baptismal certificate for relevant criteria. Offer notifications are stated as 16 April 2026.

Nursery admissions are separate and worth treating as their own track, not a back door. Applications for Nursery 2026 are open until 6 March 2026, with outcomes communicated by 8 May 2026, and the school explicitly states that Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place the following year.

Demand is clearly strong in the recorded admissions data. The Reception entry route shows 84 applications for 30 offers, around 2.8 applications per place, and is marked oversubscribed. Implication: even for well-prepared applications, parents should treat this as competitive and make realistic parallel choices.

A practical tip: if you are comparing Catholic primaries across the borough, use FindMySchool’s Map Search and comparison tools to line up results, capacity, and admissions rules side by side, especially where supplementary forms and faith criteria materially change your odds.

Safeguarding leadership is clearly signposted, with the headteacher listed as DSL and the deputy headteacher as Deputy DSL. That level of transparency is reassuring, particularly for families who want to know who holds responsibility and how concerns are escalated.

Beyond compliance, the school’s wellbeing offer includes structured interventions. The wellbeing page describes weekly individual and group Play Therapy delivered by an integrative child and adolescent therapist, plus named provision such as Rainbows. This tends to suit children who benefit from emotionally literate support, and it also signals a school that treats wellbeing as a practical service, not just a set of slogans.

Faith life also plays a pastoral role. Regular worship, the Rosary Club in May, and parish links create predictable rhythms that many children find grounding, particularly in a busy, urban area where routines can otherwise feel fragmented.

Extracurricular provision is presented with specific, named opportunities rather than vague claims.

The clubs page highlights options such as Drama, Street Dance, Yoga, Art, and a STEM-leaning club titled Little STEAMers, Engineering. That mix is useful because it caters to different types of confidence: performance for children who like to be seen, creative making for quieter pupils, and movement-based clubs for those who regulate through activity.

Sport is structured through curriculum PE plus additional classes and competition preparation. The PE and Sport Premium page names provision such as Hi5 Netball, Gymnastics, Multi-skills and Football, as well as competition prep in running, kwik-hockey, dance and kwik-cricket. The implication for families is that sport is accessible, not restricted to a narrow elite, while still providing pathways into fixtures and events.

Faith-led extracurricular is also explicit. The Rosary Club runs weekly during May, led by staff and the GIFT Team, and takes place before the school day starts. For Catholic families, this can feel like a meaningful extension of school identity; for others, it is an important indicator of how integrated the religious character is.

Published operating hours are clear. The school day for Reception to Year 6 is 8.45am to 3.15pm (32.5 hours per week). The broader operating window is stated as 8.00am to 5.30pm to accommodate staff presence and after-school activity. Nursery hours are stated as 8.45am to 11.45am.

For travel, the school actively encourages walking where possible and references resources such as a walking zones map and nearby bus stops. If you will rely on wraparound care, confirm the current schedule and provider arrangements, as the clubs and providers list is termly and can change across the year.

• Competitive entry. The most recently recorded Reception entry route shows 84 applications for 30 offers, which is around 2.8 applications per place, and is marked oversubscribed. Families should apply with realistic alternatives in mind, particularly if faith criteria are central to prioritisation.

• Nursery is not a guaranteed pipeline. The school explicitly states that Nursery entry does not guarantee a Reception place the following year. If you are planning around continuity, treat Nursery and Reception applications as separate decisions with separate deadlines.

• Faith commitment is real. Catholic worship is embedded through collective worship, parish links, and faith-led clubs such as Rosary Club. Families who want a lighter-touch faith ethos should weigh whether this level of integration suits them.

• Urban environment factors. The school sits in a busy Inner London context, and external audits have discussed road and traffic conditions around Duke Road and the nearby strategic road network. If air quality and traffic exposure are priorities for your child, use the school’s road safety guidance and consider walking routes and pick-up timing carefully.

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Chiswick offers a clearly defined Catholic education with strong KS2 outcomes and a small-school structure that supports consistency. The mix of specialist-taught areas, structured wellbeing support, and named leadership roles signals a school that is organised and expectations-led, while still giving pupils plenty of ways to contribute.

Best suited to families who want a faith-centred primary with above-average academic outcomes and who are prepared to engage seriously with the admissions process. The key constraint is securing a place, not the quality of what happens once you are in.