St Dominic's Catholic Primary School Review 2026, Stone primary with exceptional KS2 outcomes and a strong Catholic ethos

Kindness, worship, and academic ambition sit side by side here. St Dominic’s blends an explicitly Catholic mission with a curriculum that expects a lot from pupils and provides plenty of structured support to get them there. The most recent full inspection rated the school Outstanding across all areas, including early years provision.

Academically, the data is consistently strong. In 2024, 94.3% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 32% reached greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. On FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 2142nd in England and 1st in Stone, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

It is also a school with a clear sense of public service. Mini Vinnies run practical kindness projects, and the School Council is active in charitable giving and community-facing events.

The school’s own language sets the tone. Its mission statement is short, direct, and child-centred, and the wider aims place equal weight on faith, learning, and relationships shaped by Gospel values. Daily prayer and regular invitations to Eucharist are described as fundamental to school life, so families should expect faith to be visible and normalised rather than optional or occasional.

That said, entry is not restricted to Catholic families in principle. The admissions information makes clear that applications are welcomed from all families, even though faith-based oversubscription criteria can still matter when the school is full.

The younger years add an extra layer of warmth. Nursery is part of the story here, with places available from the term after a child’s third birthday and reference to government-funded hours for eligible families. For parents weighing whether to start at Nursery or wait until Reception, it is helpful to know that attendance in a nursery class does not give priority for a Reception place, which is a standard rule in Staffordshire admissions.

A school can claim community spirit, but St Dominic’s tends to evidence it through pupil leadership and routine service. Mini Vinnies describe their work through a “See, Think, Do” model and run practical initiatives such as kindness stamp cards, suggestion boxes, and fundraising linked to local Catholic charities.

Finally, governance context matters. St Dominic’s sits within St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, described as a large family of Catholic schools under the Archdiocese of Birmingham. That matters because it usually shapes shared training, policy approaches, and the wider network available to staff and pupils.

For a primary school, the headline figure parents tend to anchor on is combined reading, writing and mathematics at the expected standard. In 2024, St Dominic’s recorded 94.3% at the expected standard, far above the England average of 62%.

The attainment detail supports that headline. Average scaled scores were 108 in reading and 107 in mathematics, with 108 in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Science at the expected standard sat at 86%, compared with an England average of 82%.

It is the higher standard outcomes that often indicate stretch for the most able pupils. At St Dominic’s, 32% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with the England average of 8%. Writing at greater depth was 28%, which is also high for the phase.

Rankings offer an extra lens when you are comparing schools serving similar communities. On FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking (based on official data), St Dominic’s is ranked 2142nd in England and 1st in Stone, placing it above England average and within the top 25% of schools in England.

If you are shortlisting locally, the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool can be useful for viewing these results side-by-side with other Stone-area primaries, rather than trying to compare across different websites.

The academic picture looks deliberate rather than accidental. Teaching sequences are described as planned from Nursery through Year 6, so early years is treated as the start of the learning journey, not simply childcare.

Early reading is treated as a priority. Pupils begin phonics as soon as they enter Reception and practice daily. The approach described is tight: well-trained staff, matched books for younger readers, and extra planned phonics sessions for those who need to catch up.

Mathematics appears equally structured. Lessons are described as beginning with short recall sessions before moving into more complex work. For parents, that matters because it signals that fluency is regularly revisited rather than assumed, which often benefits both confident mathematicians and pupils who need repetition to stay secure.

The broader curriculum is not treated as a bolt-on. Examples include design work where pupils create products and then present them beyond school, and history learning that aims to connect substantive knowledge to how the world works today. For families who want both strong basics and well-chosen enrichment, this balance is part of the school’s identity.

For Nursery families, the key point is procedural. Nursery places are arranged directly with the school, but Reception entry is allocated through Staffordshire’s coordinated admissions process, and a Nursery place does not guarantee a Reception place.

From Year 6, families in Catholic education often explore Catholic secondary options. St Dominic’s provides secondary transfer information referencing Blessed William Howard, which is a useful clue about a common pathway for some families.

Beyond named pathways, the most practical advice is to look at the admissions criteria of your shortlisted secondaries early in Year 5, then use open events and transition meetings to check fit. Pupils who have been used to high expectations and strong routines at primary often settle well into secondaries with clear behaviour and homework structures.

Reception places are allocated by Staffordshire County Council through the coordinated admissions system. The school signposts the county process and publishes key dates for September 2026 entry: applications open on 01 November 2025, the deadline is 15 January 2026, and offers are released on 16 April 2026.

As a Catholic school, supplementary forms can be part of the process when the school is oversubscribed. Staffordshire’s published arrangements for this school indicate that a Supplementary Information Form should be returned by 15 January for the relevant admissions year, alongside the council application.

Demand data points to a competitive intake. For the most recent admissions cycle represented there were 64 applications for 30 offers, which is 2.13 applications per place, and the school is marked as oversubscribed.

If you are trying to judge your chances, distance-only rules are not the whole story for Catholic primaries. Religious practice evidence can matter when the school is full. Families should read the oversubscription criteria carefully and ensure their paperwork is complete by the deadline.

For parents weighing location factors, FindMySchool’s Map Search is the quickest way to check your precise distance to the school gates, then compare it with any published allocation patterns from the local authority when available.

Pastoral care here is framed through relationships and community responsibility, with the school’s published aims emphasising that every child should be known, valued, and treated with dignity.

The wider Catholic life programme adds structure around charity and service. Mini Vinnies is a concrete example, with pupils running kindness and fundraising initiatives and representing the school at a multi-school Mass within the trust community.

Safeguarding is treated as a core operational priority, with staff training and clear reporting routes described in official documentation, and a focus on helping pupils understand safety, including online safety and healthy relationships.

The most convincing enrichment at St Dominic’s is the kind that is built into the curriculum, not only offered after school. Music is a good example. Pupils are described as learning instruments and taking part in workshops with professional musicians and actors, with opportunities to write and perform productions for audiences beyond the classroom.

Pupil leadership has clear structure. The School Council includes elected representatives from Reception upwards, and the group produces tangible outcomes, such as deciding on charity allocations. In one published update, pupils recorded raising £626 for charity and then choosing how to spend it through CAFOD World Gifts options.

For service and social justice, Mini Vinnies is unusually detailed for a primary website. Projects include “15 chances for change” stamp cards to encourage good deeds, a Find-the-Saint scavenger hunt and raffle, and fundraising linked to Father Hudson’s Caritas, including a challenge where pupils walked, swam, or ran 1345m.

Sport and participation also show up through specific events rather than generic club lists. The school hosts a Mini Marathon page with a London Mini Marathon 2025 document, which signals organised participation in broader sporting initiatives.

Wraparound care is another practical pillar of family life here, run through the on-site Dominoes club. It operates as a self-financing provision and publishes both opening times and session charges, which is helpful for working parents planning weekly routines.

The school day starts with doors opening at 8.45am, with school commencing at 8.50am. End-of-day timing differs slightly by phase, with 3.15pm listed for Reception and Key Stage 1 and 3.25pm for Key Stage 2.

Dominoes wraparound care runs from 7.30am to 8.45am for breakfast club and from 3.15pm to 6.00pm after school. Charges published by the club are £4.50 to £5.50 for morning sessions (depending on drop-off time) and £6.50 to £8.00 for the afternoon (depending on pick-up time).

Nursery operates in term time with sessions available across the week, and the school highlights that government-funded hours may be available for eligible families. For Nursery fees and session patterns, use the school’s Nursery information directly, as early years pricing can change and varies by hours and entitlement.

For travel, this is a central Stone location, so walking can be realistic for families nearby. If you drive, it is sensible to plan for residential-street constraints at peak times and prioritise safe drop-off routines.

• Competition for places. With 64 applications for 30 offers in the latest admissions snapshot, demand outstrips supply. Families should apply on time and list realistic alternatives on the council form.

• Faith is central. Daily prayer and regular Eucharist opportunities are described as fundamental to school life. Families who prefer a more lightly faith-touched experience should consider whether this is the right cultural fit.

• Nursery does not guarantee Reception. Nursery places are arranged directly with the school, but Reception entry is via Staffordshire’s coordinated process, and nursery attendance does not give priority for Reception.

• Wraparound has costs. Breakfast and after-school care is available on site, but it is a paid provision with published session charges, so it is worth pricing it into your monthly budget early.

St Dominic’s is a high-performing Catholic primary where academic ambition is matched by a clear moral framework and unusually well-evidenced pupil leadership. The combination of strong KS2 outcomes, structured early reading, and visible service culture will suit families who want both educational stretch and a faith-shaped community life. Who it suits most: families comfortable with an explicitly Catholic ethos, and those who value strong routines, high expectations, and purposeful enrichment from Nursery through Year 6. Admission is the obstacle; the education is highly consistent once a place is secured.