Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School Review 2026: High-performing Catholic primary with nursery, strong oracy focus

A one-form entry Catholic primary with nursery provision, serving families in Staines-upon-Thames and wider Surrey. The school sits in a highly competitive local admissions context, with Reception demand materially above available places in recent allocations.

Leadership is stable. Ms P McNicholas is the current headteacher, following an appointment announced in late 2019, with a start planned for Easter 2020.

Academically, the school’s Key Stage 2 outcomes stand out. In 2024, 87.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual costs such as uniform, trips and any optional activities.

The school’s Catholic identity is not an add-on, it is structured into daily routines and pupil leadership. The Pupil Parliament is positioned as a practical way for pupils to contribute ideas and make decisions, with a deliberate link to Gospel values and citizenship.

Faith life is organised with clear roles for pupils. There is a Pupil Chaplaincy Team, Altar Servers and Caritas Ambassadors, plus a Buddy system that pairs Year 5 pupils with Reception children to support transition, friendships and confidence.

The parish link is treated as part of the school’s identity. The school describes rosary-led prayer and shared music for Mass and celebrations as a joint effort with parishioners and musicians, which signals a community model rather than a school-only approach.

History is unusually well documented for a primary school website, and it adds texture to how the school presents itself. The school traces its origins to a parish school opening in 1893, and it describes later building phases, including a new church designed by T.H.B. Scott in the early 1930s. That long-view narrative tends to matter to families who want continuity in ethos, especially in faith schools where parish and school identity are closely linked.

The headline at Key Stage 2 is the combined reading, writing and maths measure. In 2024, 87.67% reached the expected standard, compared with an England average of 62%. That is a very large gap, and it suggests a consistently secure core curriculum rather than a single-subject spike.

Depth is also a feature. In 2024, 34.33% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 8%. For parents, this typically translates into more pupils leaving Year 6 ready for the pace of demanding Key Stage 3 courses, including top sets where available.

Subject indicators reinforce the picture. In 2024, 97% reached the expected standard in science, compared with an England average of 82%. Reading and maths scaled scores were 108 and 109 respectively, with grammar, punctuation and spelling at 110.

FindMySchool’s ranking (based on official outcomes data) places the school 979th in England for primary performance, and 1st in the Staines-upon-Thames local area grouping. In plain English, that is performance that outperforms about 90% of primary schools in England (top 10%).

Early years is structured in a way that will feel reassuring to parents who want play-based learning with clear developmental intent. Nursery provision references three named programmes, NELI Pre-School for early language, Little Wandle Foundations for early phonological awareness, and White Rose Nursery for early maths, all described as running alongside child-led play and adult interaction.

Assessment and observation in nursery is framed through OP&L (Observation of Play and Learning), with six-monthly milestones and scheduled Spotlight assessments that feed into parent meetings. The practical implication is that progress conversations should be specific, with examples anchored in observed play rather than general impressions.

Across the school, the site navigation and news content emphasise oracy and metacognition as explicit learning priorities, rather than generic statements about “high standards”. The January 2026 ‘Voices of Hope’ oracy project launch is a useful marker that spoken language is being treated as a core learning tool, not just a nice-to-have.

Music is presented as a curriculum strand where performance and composing are expected outcomes for all, with regular performance opportunities used to build confidence and listening skills. For children who are motivated by singing and ensemble work, this can be an important “day-to-day happiness” factor, not just enrichment.

As a Catholic primary, transition planning tends to involve two parallel tracks: practical preparation for a new timetable and larger setting, and pastoral preparation for changes in friendship groups and independence. The Year 6 page explicitly references secondary transfer details as a key milestone that families are kept informed about, which suggests transition is treated as a planned process rather than a last-minute admin exercise.

Families considering Catholic secondary routes will also notice that St Paul’s Catholic College appears as part of the same multi-academy trust family, and the school describes a Year 5 retreat day hosted with St Paul’s chaplaincy team. That sort of cross-school faith activity often indicates established relationships that can make transition events and familiarisation feel less daunting for pupils.

If your child is more likely to move to a non-faith local secondary, the same Year 6 emphasis on communication with families around transfer still matters. A calm, well-explained transition tends to benefit children who are academically strong but anxious about change.

Reception entry is coordinated through Surrey’s admissions process. For September 2026 start, applications opened on 03 November 2025 and closed on 15 January 2026. Offer notifications are issued on 16 April 2026, and families must accept or decline by 30 April 2026.

Local demand is a defining feature. The most recent published Surrey area booklet for Spelthorne shows a Published Admission Number of 30 for Reception, with 117 preferences recorded for the prior allocation year shown, indicating strong pressure on places. Separately, the school’s admissions data indicates oversubscription, with 117 applications for 30 offers and roughly 3.9 applications per place in that same demand snapshot.

Catholic schools commonly operate with faith-based oversubscription criteria and may require a supplementary information form for certain criteria. Surrey’s booklets flag where additional forms apply, and the school’s own admissions guidance indicates that supplementary forms can be relevant for applications and for in-year moves. Parents should read the current admissions policy carefully and keep documentation organised early.

Open mornings for Reception 2026 were described as finished for the year on the school admissions page, with an invitation to contact the school office for a visit. Practically, many schools run tours in the autumn term and then shift to individual visits as the deadline approaches, so it is sensible to plan on that rhythm and check the school calendar for the latest dates.

Parents comparing multiple schools can use the FindMySchool Map Search to understand their travel patterns and realistic shortlist. Where demand is high, small differences in distance and criteria category can matter.

Pastoral support is easiest to judge in what a school standardises, not just what it promises. Here, several structures are clearly described: consistent adult-led routines in nursery, daily use of a prayer space for quiet reflection in early years, and a buddy system explicitly designed to support younger children through relationships with older pupils.

The website also includes practical guidance for families on anxiety, routines, and emotional regulation strategies. While these pages are not proof of outcomes on their own, they do indicate that wellbeing is being treated as part of school-home partnership rather than a private problem for parents to handle alone.

Safeguarding information is signposted as a dedicated area of the website, which is now a baseline expectation for schools. Families should still look for clarity on reporting routes, DSL coverage and online safety practice during tours and induction meetings.

Wraparound care is a major part of “real life” for many families, and here it is described in detail. Early Risers (breakfast provision) and Cool Club (after-school provision) are run by school staff and designed to offer calm activities and outdoor play. Opening hours are published as Monday to Thursday 7.30am to 6.00pm, and Friday 7.30am to 8.30am.

For pupil leadership and service opportunities, the school offers multiple named routes. The Pupil Parliament is structured into committees, with examples including a Stewardship Committee leading eco initiatives such as the school allotment and wildflower planting, and a One World Committee linked to charitable initiatives and Catholic Social Teaching themes. These are the sorts of responsibilities that suit pupils who enjoy having a voice and taking practical action, not just collecting badges.

Faith-linked activities also function as extracurricular “identity builders”. The Pupil Chaplaincy Team, Altar Servers and Caritas Ambassadors create clear roles for pupils who like ceremony, service and helping younger children feel included.

Music is presented as an area where participation and performance are expected. The school references regular performance opportunities and a curriculum emphasis on singing, composing and appraising. The December 2025 mention of a Westminster Singing Schools Programme Christmas Concert suggests access to structured singing experiences beyond the classroom for at least part of the year.

The school day for Reception to Year 6 is published as 8.45am to 3.00pm, Monday to Friday, with gates opening at 8.30am for a soft start.

Nursery routines differ from the main school, and parents should confirm session patterns directly for their child’s age and entitlement. Nursery fee details are published via the school, and government-funded hours may apply for eligible families; check the latest early years funding guidance as part of planning.

For travel, the school is in Staines-upon-Thames, so many families will be balancing walking routes with short car journeys, especially at drop-off. Where wraparound care is used, the longer opening hours can also reduce peak-time pressure for working parents.

• Competition for Reception places. Recent published demand indicators show far more applications than available Reception places. Families should plan for realistic alternatives alongside this preference.

• Faith expectations are meaningful. Catholic life is integrated through prayer, liturgy and pupil roles. Families who prefer a lighter-touch faith presence should look carefully at how this fits their values and routines.

• Ofsted grading is not recent for the current academy URN. The last graded inspection sits with the predecessor school before academy conversion, so families may want to weigh current-day evidence from visits, policies and communication as heavily as historic grades.

This is a high-performing, one-form entry Catholic primary with nursery, clear structures for pupil leadership, and a curriculum story that highlights oracy and early language development. It suits families seeking a faith-grounded education with strong Key Stage 2 outcomes, and who value a close link between parish, service and school life. The main constraint is admission: demand for Reception places has been consistently high, so shortlist planning matters as much as enthusiasm.