Blessed Robert Widmerpool Catholic Primary and Nursery School Review 2026: High-performing Catholic primary in Clifton

Strong Key Stage 2 outcomes sit at the centre of this Clifton primary, with results that compare well against England averages. In 2024, 85.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with 62% across England. At the higher standard, 32.33% achieved greater depth, against an England figure of 8%.

It is a Roman Catholic school with Catholic life integrated into daily routines and the wider curriculum. The school is part of the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, and its local authority area is Nottingham.

Faith is not a bolt-on here. The school’s own description places Catholic values at the heart of school life, and external evaluation aligns with that picture, with the religious ethos described as permeating the curriculum.

Leadership is clearly defined. The school lists Mrs Luisa Maylard-Mason as Head, and trust documentation shows an appointment date of 22 February 2016. A parent letter later confirms she returned to the headteacher role from September 2024 after working across two schools in the trust. Taken together, that points to continuity, plus senior-level experience beyond a single site.

Early years provision is a meaningful part of the school’s identity, as it educates children from age 3. Practical routines are clearly explained to families, including Foundation Stage session structures and a strong emphasis on safe handovers and known adults at collection.

For a primary, the headline measure is the combined reading, writing and mathematics standard at Key Stage 2. In 2024, 85.67% met the expected standard, well above the England average of 62%.

At the higher standard, the figure is also striking. 32.33% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with 8% across England. For families with high prior attainment, that suggests the school is equipped to push pupils beyond the basic benchmark rather than focusing only on threshold outcomes.

Looking across subject indicators, reading and mathematics are particularly strong on the published measures. In 2024, 91% reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in mathematics. Grammar, punctuation and spelling is also a clear strength, with 97% meeting the expected standard and an average scaled score of 113. Science is more mixed, with 78% meeting the expected standard compared with an England average of 82%.

Rankings provide a second lens for parents comparing options locally. Based on FindMySchool rankings drawn from official performance data, the school is ranked 842nd in England for primary outcomes and 10th locally in Nottingham. This places it well above England average, within the top 10% of schools in England. Parents comparing nearby schools can use the FindMySchool local hub and comparison tools to see how these outcomes stack up against other Nottingham primaries.

The school’s curriculum framing combines Catholic life with subject entitlement, and religious education is explicitly timetabled as a meaningful proportion of the week. The school states that 10% of curriculum time is allocated to religious education, separate from collective worship. That level of time allocation tends to matter for families who want a faith-informed curriculum rather than a minimal faith footprint.

Reading appears deliberately structured. The latest inspection report describes targeted support for pupils who need additional help with reading, including extra phonics sessions when needed. The practical implication is that weaker starting points are not left to drift, which is often the difference between “good results overall” and genuinely consistent progress across cohorts.

Early years routines are also clearly articulated for parents, with a focus on consistent handover processes, predictable session timing, and practical readiness such as outdoor clothing and spare clothes. For three and four-year-olds, this kind of operational clarity usually correlates with calmer starts, quicker settling, and fewer avoidable anxieties for families.

As a school with pupils up to age 11, the key transition point is Year 6 into secondary. The school sits within Nottingham City’s coordinated admissions context, so most families will be thinking about local secondaries, transport practicality, and whether a faith-based route matters for the next stage.

The most useful planning step is to treat Year 6 as a two-track year, academic readiness plus practical transition readiness. Families can shortlist likely secondary options early, then sanity-check travel time and realistic allocation patterns. If you are weighing distance-based criteria elsewhere, the FindMySchool map tools are useful for confirming measured home-to-school distances and avoiding optimistic assumptions.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Entry is coordinated through the local authority for Reception and in-year movement, and it is typically oversubscribed. In the most recent admissions demand snapshot provided, there were 49 applications for 30 offers for the main primary entry route, a ratio of 1.63 applications per place.

For Reception entry in September 2026, the school publishes specific dates. Applications are accepted from 03 November 2025 to 15 January 2026, with notifications issued on 16 April 2026. Parents should be aware that waiting lists are managed by the local authority and remain open until the end of the academic application year, with re-application required if a family wants to remain on the list in subsequent years.

Nursery entry is a separate decision point for many families. The school takes children from age 3, and it sets out Foundation Stage routines for parents. If you are considering a nursery start with a view to progressing into Reception, treat it as an early relationship-building step rather than a guarantee of future admission, and confirm the current process directly with the admissions guidance.

A high-performing primary only works for families if children feel safe, understood, and supported. The inspection evidence emphasises inclusion, with explicit reference to support for pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and disabilities. It also points to leaders working persistently with external agencies when required.

For parents, the practical takeaway is to ask targeted questions: what support looks like in-class, how quickly additional reading or language support starts, and how the school communicates progress. The documentary trail on the school website shows regular parent-facing communication, which tends to make day-to-day pastoral issues easier to resolve before they escalate.

The school makes a point of giving pupils platforms for voice and creativity. BRW Radio is a distinctive example, including features such as Writers’ Corner, which elevates pupil writing into something that can be shared and celebrated beyond the classroom. The implication is cultural: children see literacy as communication and performance, not just an exercise book activity.

Coding and STEM also show up in identifiable ways rather than generic claims. The school has featured Code Club work for older pupils, and it has promoted Discoveroos Science Club for Years 4 to 6, linked to a visiting academic and a structured after-school offer. For pupils who learn best through projects and practical challenges, these activities can be a meaningful complement to a knowledge-rich curriculum.

In early years, the school describes “stay and play” open sessions for parents and carers, alongside structured family engagement. This matters because parental involvement tends to be highest in nursery and Reception, and schools that organise it well often see smoother settling and better home-to-school consistency.

The school publishes timings by year group. For Years 2 to 6, the published start time is 8:45am, with registers closing at 8:50am. For Year 1 and Foundation Stage 2, the published day is 8:50am to 3:25pm, with registers closing at 8:55am.

Wraparound care is an area to check carefully. A recent parent survey document sets out proposed timings of breakfast club from 8:00am to 8:45am and after-school club from 3:20pm to 5:00pm, presented in the context of exploring demand for on-site provision. Families who rely on wraparound should confirm the current offer and booking arrangements.

On travel and drop-off, the school issues practical guidance that discourages car park use at the busiest times and sets clear expectations for safe arrival and collection routines, including scooters and bikes being wheeled on site.

• Competition for places. With demand exceeding offers in the most recent admissions snapshot, admission is a limiting factor. Families should plan with realistic contingencies and understand how coordinated admissions and waiting lists operate.

• Wraparound certainty. The documentation indicates active work on wraparound provision, but families who need guaranteed childcare coverage should verify what is currently running, on which days, and with what capacity.

• Faith commitment. Catholic life is embedded in daily practice and curriculum framing. Families seeking a more faith-light experience may prefer a different setting.

• Outcomes can bring pressure. Strong results are attractive, but they can also raise expectations among parents. The best fit is usually a family that values achievement while keeping primary years emotionally balanced.

Blessed Robert Widmerpool Catholic Primary and Nursery School combines a clearly defined Catholic identity with outcomes that sit well above England averages on core Key Stage 2 measures. Leadership continuity and explicit early years routines add operational stability.

Who it suits: families in Clifton and surrounding areas who want a faith-grounded primary with strong academic benchmarks and identifiable enrichment in literacy and STEM. The main barrier is admission rather than the educational offer.