St Mary’s Catholic Junior Academy Review 2026: Catholic Junior School in Newton-le-Willows with an Arches-themed curriculum

St Mary’s Catholic Junior Academy is a Key Stage 2 school (Years 3 to 6). the published Key Stage 2 outcome figures are not available, so any precise percentages would be misleading to reproduce here.

What can be said with confidence is that the school directs parents to the official government performance tables for its nationally held junior-school performance data, and it also provides a route to a breakdown of statutory results through its own performance pages.

For parents comparing options locally, the most useful next step is to use FindMySchool’s local hub comparison tools to line up nearby junior and primary schools on the same measures, then use the school’s own curriculum pages to interpret what sits behind those outcomes.

Curriculum intent is described in unusually concrete terms, with subject pages and a consistent emphasis on “end points” at the end of each key stage, and the school explicitly positioning national assessments as indicators of outcomes rather than the whole story.

Reading structures are clearly signposted. The school uses Accelerated Reader for independent reading practice, and the wider remote learning guidance lists specific platforms that pupils should have logins for, including TT Rockstars, Spelling Shed and Accelerated Reader.

The Junior parent handbook adds extra detail on what practice looks like at home, including regular reading expectations and specific homework structures such as White Rose homework books for maths and weekly Book Bingo activities to support reading.

As a junior school, the main transition point is Year 6 to Year 7. The most practical indicator for families is the St Helens secondary admissions process and the realistic travel pattern your child will face, rather than any single feeder list.

Entry is primarily into Year 3, and the admissions policy makes clear that St Helens Council coordinates the normal admission round, with the school’s governing body acting as admissions authority for decision-making within the published criteria. The published admissions number (PAN) for September 2026 Year 3 intake is 60.

Oversubscription criteria are faith-informed. After looked-after and previously looked-after children, priority is given to baptised Catholic children (with additional priority for siblings and for children resident in named local parishes), then other Christian denominations, other faiths, and finally other children. Where places cannot be offered within a criterion, the tie-break is distance measured in a straight line using the local authority’s GIS system.

For the 2026 primary admissions timeline in St Helens, the local authority states that the closing date is 15 January 2026 and offers are confirmed on 16 April 2026.

Parents trying to assess their chances should treat distance and criteria seriously. If you are relying on proximity, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to measure your address-to-gate distance accurately and sanity-check it against how competitive Catholic junior admissions can be year to year.

Safeguarding roles are clearly named on the federation’s statutory information page, including a designated safeguarding lead for the junior academy and a deputy lead. That clarity matters for parents because it signals who holds responsibility and how concerns flow.

The Junior parent handbook also underlines attendance as part of safeguarding culture, including explicit registration timings and the expectation that families contact the school early in the morning if a child is absent.

A distinctive strength here is the emphasis on reading culture and libraries. The federation reports that the Junior Academy was shortlisted for School Library of the Year at the Educate Awards 2025 and was runner-up, which is a specific, verifiable signal of investment in reading environment and pupil engagement with books.

On the structured learning side, the school’s named programmes help avoid the generic “lots of clubs” fog. Remote learning guidance references specific platforms used by juniors, and the handbook builds on this with defined home-learning routines, including TT Rockstars for multiplication recall, reading diaries, and Book Bingo activities.

Wraparound provision is developing. The federation’s page states that breakfast and after-school clubs officially opened from 31 March 2025, but it also says further information will follow, so parents should confirm current sessions, costs, and availability directly.

The Junior school day is clearly set out in the parent handbook. Junior doors open at 8:50am, registration is at 9:05am, and the school day ends at 3:30pm, with year-grouped morning breaks and a lunchtime period from 12:15pm to 1:15pm.

Collection arrangements are also specific, with parents able to enter from 3:20pm and pupils collected from classroom doors at 3:30pm. The handbook notes congestion and limited parking around Barn Way, including a voluntary one-way system to support traffic flow at peak times.

Fees & Financial Aid

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still expect normal school costs such as uniform, trips, and optional clubs or activities, and it is worth confirming any wraparound charges if breakfast or after-school care is needed.

• Inspection reporting transition. The predecessor school (on the same site) was rated Requires Improvement following the inspection on 22 November 2022. The academy’s current Ofsted page does not yet show a published report, so parents should read the most recent available documentation and keep an eye out for updates.

• Faith criteria matter. The admissions policy is explicit that Catholic baptism evidence and parish links can significantly affect priority, and distance only becomes decisive within criteria or in a tie-break.

• Wraparound details may need checking. Breakfast and after-school provision is advertised as opened from 31 March 2025, but detailed operational information is not set out on the page, so verify the current offer before relying on it for work schedules.

• Parking and congestion. The handbook flags local congestion and limited parking, which is a practical issue for families doing daily drop-off and pick-up by car.

St Mary’s Catholic Junior Academy will suit families who want a faith-centred junior school with a clearly articulated ethos, practical routines, and a curriculum identity tied to local history through the Arches framework. The reading culture, including external recognition for the library, is a concrete plus for children who thrive with books and structured independent reading. It suits best those comfortable with the Catholic character of school life and those able to engage with the admissions criteria early and carefully.