St Elphege’s RC Junior School Review 2026: Elite KS2 outcomes with a clear Catholic identity (Roundshaw, Sutton)

A junior school with results that read like a selective intake, while remaining a state-funded option for local families. In 2024, 93.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 51.33% achieved greater depth, far above the England average of 8%. Those figures underpin a place in the top 2% of primary schools in England for outcomes, based on FindMySchool rankings drawn from official data; it ranks 73rd in England and 2nd in Sutton.

St Elphege’s serves pupils aged 7 to 11, with a published admissions number of 96 for Year 3 entry each September and a junior phase capacity of 384. The faith character is Roman Catholic and that shapes both daily life and admissions priorities. Leadership is structured as a federation, with an Executive Headteacher, Martin Jones, and the junior Head Teacher, Laurence Hawkes. Start dates for these roles are not clearly published in the sources available.

The clearest defining feature is consistency. Behaviour is framed around simple, repeated expectations, and pupils are given real responsibility, such as supporting younger peers and organising fundraising activities. In practice, this creates a junior phase that tends to feel orderly and purposeful, with pupils confident about routines and expectations.

Catholic life is not treated as an optional add-on. The admissions policy is explicit that Catholic doctrine and practice permeates the school’s activity, and that families are expected to support that ethos, including participation in religious education and worship. That clarity is helpful for parents, because it avoids ambiguity about how faith is integrated day-to-day.

The school also presents itself as outward-facing and community-minded. Recent communications highlight choirs performing in local public settings and visiting a local hospital to sing for staff and patients. For many families, that combination of structure and service is a strong cultural signal: achievement matters, but so does how pupils carry themselves beyond the classroom.

The outcomes data is unusually strong for a non-selective junior school. In 2024, 93.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared to the England average of 62%. Science was also high at 92% meeting the expected standard.

Depth is the other headline. At the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, 51.33% achieved greater depth, compared with the England average of 8%. That is a meaningful indicator because it suggests the school is not only getting pupils over the line, but also stretching a large proportion into top attainment bands by the end of Key Stage 2.

Scaled scores reinforce the picture: reading 111, mathematics 111, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 114, with a combined score of 336 across the three tests.

Rankings align with the metrics. St Elphege’s ranks 73rd in England for primary outcomes and 2nd in Sutton, using FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking methodology based on official data. That places it among the highest-performing schools in England (top 2%).

Parents comparing options locally can use the FindMySchool local hub and comparison tools to put these results alongside nearby schools in Sutton, particularly if they are balancing performance against distance, transport, and pastoral priorities.

External evidence points to a curriculum that is planned deliberately for knowledge retention, not just coverage. Reading is treated as foundational, with staff training and a structured approach to ensuring pupils read fluently, including careful book selection for catch-up so that older pupils are not given material that feels too young.

The wider curriculum is described as broad and coherently sequenced, with pupils building knowledge over time and being able to recall and apply prior learning. Examples include history content on migration to Britain, where learning about the Romans and Vikings is connected to contemporary migration themes. That sort of linking matters because it supports pupils who are strong memorizers and those who need conceptual hooks to retain information.

Music stands out as more than a timetable subject. Pupils are expected to develop both performance and composition skills, with a structured progression in musical notation and listening across styles and composers. When a school can name music as a defined strength and show what that looks like in curriculum terms, it often correlates with strong classroom routines and high expectations, because ensemble work depends on both.

As a junior school, the key transition is from Year 6 into secondary education. Formal observations describe a planned programme supporting pupils’ move to secondary, including opportunities to reflect on the practical and emotional changes involved.

For families prioritising a Catholic secondary pathway, Sutton has a recognised Catholic partnership structure. The Sutton Catholic Schools Alliance describes joint working that supports the transfer to secondary process, and it names The John Fisher School and St Philomena’s Catholic High School for Girls as the secondary schools within that family of schools. That does not mean every pupil progresses to those secondaries, but it does indicate a clear faith-based transition network that some families value.

For pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, the school’s published SEND information describes practical transition support such as transition books, additional preparation using pictures and social stories, and liaison with secondary schools, with planning for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans beginning earlier.

The main intake point is Year 3 (Key Stage 2 entry). The published admissions number is 96 places per year group, with up to 32 pupils per class, and the admissions policy sets out priorities clearly. Catholic children are given priority, with specific evidence requirements such as a baptismal certificate for baptised Catholic applicants. After sibling and eligible needs criteria, proximity to the school is used, measured as straight-line distance by the local authority’s system.

Applications for September 2026 entry to Year 3 use Sutton’s coordinated process. The school’s admissions policy states that applicants should submit the Local Authority Common Application Form by 15 January 2026. In addition, families are asked to complete the school’s Admissions Administration Form by the same date.

Sutton’s published key dates for the 2026 intake show online applications opening on 01 September 2025, the closing date as 15 January 2026, and outcomes available on the evening of 16 April 2026. Late applications for good reason can be accepted up to 12 February 2026, and appeals typically run June to July, with further offers May to September as vacancies occur.

The practical implication is straightforward: if St Elphege’s is a serious option, treat it as a deadline-driven process, and make sure faith evidence and supplementary paperwork are ready well before mid-January. Where distance is likely to be a deciding factor within categories, families should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check how their address compares with realistic cut-off distances in the area, bearing in mind that cut-offs can change year by year.

Pastoral work appears to be structured around predictable routines and clear safeguarding systems. Pupils are expected to know what to do if worried, and staff training and logging processes are described as consistent and taken seriously. The safeguarding judgement in the most recent available inspection evidence is positive.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is framed around inclusion within the classroom, with the intention that pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as peers, alongside targeted support and transition planning.

The school is part of a Catholic trust context. Ofsted’s listing shows St Elphege’s as part of Sancta Familia Catholic Academy Trust, which matters because it can shape policies, staff development, and the wider community of schools that pupils are connected to.

Clubs and enrichment are unusually well-specified, which is often a good proxy for organisational grip. Co-curricular options listed include Junior Choir, netball for Year 5 and Year 6, and football for Year 5 and Year 6, alongside Spanish clubs split by age. There is also a String Club noted for Year 4 to Year 6 in the relevant term.

Music is reinforced outside lessons. Alongside choir, inspection evidence also references clubs such as jazz, and a wider culture where pupils take part in singing competitions. The benefit for families is not only performance opportunities, but also the discipline and confidence that group performance tends to build, especially in upper primary.

A distinctive example is the ‘plant hospital’, described as a base for developing social skills and horticultural knowledge. This sort of initiative is not simply decorative. When pupils are given a concrete responsibility, caring for living things, organising tasks, explaining what they have done, it can develop vocabulary, collaboration, and a sense of contribution that translates back into classroom behaviour and maturity.

The school day starts at 8.30am and finishes at 3.20pm Monday to Thursday, with a 2.30pm finish on Fridays. Gates open at 8.20am.

Wraparound care is published clearly: Breakfast Club runs 07.45 to 08.30, and After School Club runs Monday to Thursday 15.30 to 18.00, plus Friday 14.30 to 17.00.

For travel and drop-off, families should note the Sutton School Streets context referenced by the school, including restrictions monitored by ANPR cameras during drop-off and collection times on Roe Way. That can materially change how you plan your route and where you park or walk from.

• Faith expectations are real. The admissions policy makes clear that Catholic worship and practice are central, and families are expected to support that ethos. This suits many, but it is not a neutral environment.

• Entry can be paperwork-heavy. Year 3 entry involves the local authority application plus the school’s additional administration form, with supporting evidence for faith categories. Families who leave this late can create avoidable stress.

• Early start and Friday finish. A 8.30am start and 2.30pm finish on Fridays works well for some childcare patterns and less well for others, unless wraparound care is used.

• High attainment can bring pressure. When outcomes are this strong, some pupils thrive on the pace, while others may need reassurance that effort and progress matter as much as top marks. Families should explore how the school communicates expectations and supports pupils who are anxious about tests.

St Elphege’s RC Junior School combines a clearly Catholic identity with rare Key Stage 2 attainment strength for a state-funded junior school. The curriculum emphasis on reading, coherent knowledge-building, and a well-defined music and enrichment offer gives the school a distinctive profile, not just high scores.

It suits families who want an academically ambitious junior phase, who are comfortable with a Roman Catholic ethos woven through school life, and who can manage a structured admissions process for Year 3 entry. The limiting factor for many will be admission, not the quality of education once a place is secured.