St Francis Catholic Primary School, Walsall Review 2026: A faith-led primary with strong KS2 outcomes and a clear pupil leadership culture

Gates open at 8.40am and, by 8.50am, the day is properly underway. The tone here is structured and values-led, with faith vocabulary used naturally, not as an add-on. Miss D Richards has been headteacher since September 2015, and the school’s message about kindness, service and responsibility shows up in the everyday roles pupils take on, from School Council to Faith Ambassadors and Eco Warriors.

Academically, this is a high-performing state primary by KS2 measures. In 2024, 83% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the England average of 62%. FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking places it 2,661st in England and 10th in Walsall, comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

A Catholic ethos shapes daily routines in practical ways. The school sets out a pattern of prayer across the day, alongside a clear expectation that pupils learn to respect others and act with care. For many families, that clarity is the point, the faith dimension is not occasional, it is the organising thread.

Leadership opportunities for pupils are unusually explicit for a one-form entry primary. Beyond the School Council, the Faith Ambassadors have defined responsibilities, including helping to lead chaplaincy opportunities and supporting charitable outreach. By Year 6, pupils can apply for roles such as House Captains, Prefects, Assembly Preparation Team (APT), Play Leaders, Eco Warriors and Digital Leaders. The implication is simple, children who enjoy responsibility and being “useful” tend to find plenty of space to grow here.

The school’s history also matters to its identity. The original school opened on 30 June 1893, with the parish story and later building phases documented in detail, including the addition of a nursery in 1975 and later classroom expansions in 1998 and 2009. It creates a sense of continuity that many families value in a community primary.

Nursery sits naturally within that whole-school culture. The early years focus is play-based with a planned balance of adult-led and child-led activity, and regular indoor and outdoor time built into the routine. Curriculum overviews are framed around big questions that are accessible for younger children.

The headline for parents is the combined reading, writing and maths measure at the end of Key Stage 2. In 2024, 83% reached the expected standard, well above the England average of 62%. That is a strong outcome in a system where “expected” is a high bar in practice.

Depth matters too. At the higher standard, 32.33% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the England average of 8%. That is the sort of figure that usually indicates not just good teaching, but a culture of consistent practice and high expectations.

The scaled scores reinforce the picture. Reading averaged 105, maths 108, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 109. On the high-score measures, 56% reached a high score in grammar, punctuation and spelling, 47% did so in maths, and 34% in reading.

In FindMySchool’s proprietary rankings (built from official results data), the school is ranked 2,661st in England and 10th in Walsall for primary outcomes. In plain English, that puts it above the England average and comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

A final point for parents comparing schools: science is strong too. In 2024, 88% met the expected standard in science, compared with the England average of 82%. That matters because science is often where some primaries lose traction, especially where curriculum time is squeezed in Year 6.

Reading and maths are the obvious engines. Early reading is built on a consistent approach and, in the early years, children get a secure grounding in number and letter sounds. In maths, the curriculum is described as equally successful, with most pupils leaving suitably literate and numerate for the jump to secondary school.

The wider curriculum is designed around topic work, often starting from a big question intended to prompt thinking. That can be a strength when it is well-sequenced and when the links between subjects add meaning rather than distraction. The school’s own documentation and external reporting both suggest the intent is ambitious and engaging.

Where the nuance sits is in curriculum coherence across foundation subjects. The same topic approach can sometimes dilute what pupils need to know and remember in specific subjects, especially where too much content is attempted. For families with a strong interest in history, art or design and technology, it is worth asking how subject knowledge is sequenced and revisited year-on-year.

Languages are an example of how curriculum evolves. The school moved from Spanish to French, with resources and a scheme of work in place, while staff and pupils embed the shift. For parents, that signals a school willing to adjust provision rather than treat it as fixed.

Nursery and Reception are the start of that learning pathway, not a separate island. Nursery routines deliberately mix adult-led learning with child-led exploration, and the curriculum themes (for example, seasonal change and care for the natural world) are concrete and age-appropriate.

As a Catholic primary, many families will be thinking ahead to Catholic secondary options as part of a single, values-consistent pathway. One clear destination link is St Francis of Assisi Catholic College, which lists this school among its feeder primaries. That partnership can make transition feel more familiar for pupils, particularly where shared liturgy and a common approach to Catholic life are part of the culture.

Beyond named destinations, transition preparation is treated as a process rather than a single event. The school describes structured transition arrangements across year groups and states that secondary transfer is managed with local secondary schools to support a good start for children in their next setting.

This is a voluntary aided Catholic primary, so governors are the admissions authority and the school publishes its admissions policies by year. For families, that usually means two things: you apply through the local authority for the normal Reception round, and you should expect faith-based oversubscription criteria to matter when the school is full.

Demand looks real. In the latest available admissions data, there were 40 applications and 24 offers for the main primary entry route, which equates to 1.67 applications per offer. The local authority also records the route as oversubscribed. The practical implication is that families should read the published criteria early and avoid treating application as a formality.

For September 2026 Reception entry in Walsall, the on-time application closing date was 15 January 2026. Walsall Council states that you can still apply late, but late applications are processed after on-time ones. Offers for on-time applicants are issued on Thursday 16 April 2026.

Nursery families should be especially careful about assumptions. Walsall Council is explicit that having a place in a school nursery does not guarantee a Reception place in the same school, a separate application is still required.

Practical tip: if you are shortlisting several local primaries, FindMySchool’s Map Search can help you compare travel practicality and keep your shortlist realistic, especially when demand is high and outcomes depend on oversubscription criteria.

The pastoral model here is grounded in consistent expectations and clear routines. Behaviour expectations are framed around respect and care for others, with pupils encouraged to take responsibility through leadership roles and service. That leadership structure also acts as a pastoral scaffold, pupils are not just “in school”, they have jobs to do, and that sense of contribution can be protective for confidence.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is described as multi-agency where needed, with external professional organisations involved to support pupils, and the inclusion aim is to keep pupils involved in the life of the school where possible. The implication for parents is to ask detailed questions about how support is delivered day-to-day, not only what provision exists on paper.

Safeguarding is treated as a whole-school responsibility with clear reporting expectations for staff. The school also uses communication to reinforce key messages with pupils and parents, which is often where safeguarding culture becomes real rather than procedural.

Extracurricular life is organised with a practical mindset. Clubs are run on a variety of days by external providers, with an explicit aim to give Year 1 to Year 6 access across the year. Examples given include sign language, athletics, football and dance. The benefit is variety without the staffing pressure that can come from trying to run everything internally. The trade-off is that availability can change term-to-term depending on provider schedules.

Leadership and enrichment also run through pupil roles. The School Council meets every other Tuesday lunchtime and discusses practical issues such as anti-bullying, club preferences and environmental action. Faith Ambassadors meet regularly and lead on aspects of chaplaincy and charitable outreach. These are not token titles, pupils have defined responsibilities that sit alongside normal lessons.

A distinctive example of “making things happen” comes from the way experiences are protected even when plans change. When a Year 6 residential trip could not run, staff organised an overnight stay at school with special activities. For parents, that signals a school that values formative experiences and will adapt rather than simply cancel.

The PTA is another piece of the wider-school picture. Events such as a Christmas fayre, summer garden party, cake sales and themed days raise funds that have been used for items like library books, football kits and play equipment. For many families, that helps the school add extras without turning every enhancement into a parental levy.

The school week totals 32.5 hours. Gates open at 8.40am and close at 8.50am. Collection is 3.10pm for Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, and 3.15pm for Key Stage 2, with gates locking at 3.20pm.

Wraparound care is the main practical limitation. The school states it does not run its own after-school club, although an after-school club facility is available via St Mark’s Church through a separate provider. Breakfast club arrangements are not clearly set out in the published material, so families who need early drop-off should check directly before relying on it.

Lunches are pre-ordered daily by 8.30am, including free school meals. Reception to Year 2 meals are free (and must still be ordered), while Years 3 to 6 meals are paid unless a pupil is eligible for free school meals.

Transport specifics such as named bus routes and parking arrangements are not set out clearly on the main information pages. Most families will want to test the run at peak times and check safe walking routes from their own home.

• Oversubscription is a real factor. The latest available admissions data shows more applications than offers for the main entry route. Families should read the published oversubscription criteria early and build a realistic shortlist.

• No school-run after-school club. After-school provision is available via a separate provider at a local church, which may suit some families well, but it is not the same as an on-site, school-run wraparound model.

• Nursery is not a guaranteed route into Reception. The local authority is explicit that a nursery place does not guarantee a Reception place at the same school, a separate application is required.

• Foundation-subject curriculum is still being refined. The school’s strongest consistency is in English and maths; parents who prioritise breadth should ask how history, art, and design and technology knowledge is sequenced so that content is not diluted by topic links.

This is a high-performing, faith-shaped primary with clear routines, a strong pupil leadership culture, and results that sit comfortably above England averages. It suits families who want Catholic life integrated into daily school practice, and children who enjoy responsibility and structure. The main watch-outs are the practicalities of wraparound care and the need to understand admissions criteria early in an oversubscribed context.