Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

What Holy Cross Catholic Primary School does

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is a small state-funded Catholic primary school located on Millfield Avenue in East Cowes, on the north of the Isle of Wight, operating under the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth. The school serves children aged 4-11 across Reception through Year 6, currently employing 22 staff and led by Headteacher Mrs Lucie Banks with governance oversight from Chair of Governors Mr Wayne Baker. Its mission centres on 'One School Family, Achieving Together, Anchored in the Love of Christ,' combining academic education with Catholic Social Teaching, pastoral care, and community engagement.

The school delivers a broad curriculum using a portfolio of named programmes: Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised for phonics, HIAS Maths with Maths Mastery, Kapow Primary Music, Teach Computing, PlanBee Science and Geography, Keystage History, Twinkl French, and Life to the Full (TenTen Resources) for Relationship and Health Education. A distinctive Forest School programme, based on the Scandinavian 'friluftsliv' philosophy and led by a qualified Forest School teacher, runs across all year groups using the school's own copse. The school website is powered by the eSchools platform and weekly newsletters provide ongoing communication with families.

The school operates as a non-profit, no-fee charitable educational institution funded by central government and the Diocese of Portsmouth, charging no tuition. It generates no commercial revenue; admissions are handled directly with families. Community engagement is a core feature, with active partnerships spanning the local churches, Mountbatten Hospice, CAFOD, Salvation Army, Isle of Wight Foodbank, RNLI, Osborne House, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, and Winchester Science Centre. The school received a Catholic Schools Inspection in March 2025, graded 'Good' overall with four of nine areas 'Outstanding', and holds the Sportsmark Gold accreditation.

Name

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

Legal name

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

Website

https://holycrossrcpri.iow.sch.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is a small state-funded Catholic primary school in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, serving children aged 4-11 across Reception to Year 6 under the Diocese of Portsmouth, delivering a broad curriculum with a distinctive Forest School programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJABAC

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Private & Independent K–12 Schools

SECONDARYBPAGAJAD

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

Keywords

• Catholic primary education
• Primary school curriculum
• Forest School programme
• Catholic religious education
• State-funded schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

East Cowes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School provides state-funded Catholic primary education for children aged 4–11 across Reception through Year 6 in East Cowes, Isle of Wight. Curriculum delivery is organised around multiple named schemes (Little Wandle phonics, HIAS Maths, PlanBee Science/Geography, Keystage History, Teach Computing, Kapow Music, Twinkl French, Life to the Full RHE), supplemented by a Forest School programme delivered in a dedicated on-site copse. Pastoral provision is led by a SENDCO/Inclusion Lead, and the school operates within the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth.

Product overview

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School offers a broad, balanced curriculum as its core educational offering. The school utilizes multiple named curriculum programmes including Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised for phonics, HIAS Maths Scheme with Maths Mastery for mathematics, Kapow Primary Music, Teach Computing, PlanBee for Science and Geography, Keystage History, Twinkl French, and Life to the Full (TenTen Resources) for Relationship and Health Education. The school also runs a dedicated Forest School outdoor learning programme for all pupils. The eSchools platform powers the school's website and communication systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catholic Primary Education (Reception to Year 6) Full-time Catholic primary education for children aged 4–11, combining a broad and balanced curriculum with Catholic Social Teaching, pastoral care, SENDCO-led inclusion, and preparation for secondary school. Delivered on-site in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, for families on the Island seeking a faith-based education.
• Forest School Programme Outdoor learning programme based on the Scandinavian 'friluftsliv' philosophy, delivered in blocks of weekly sessions led by a qualified Forest School teacher for every class from Reception through Year 6 in a dedicated on-site copse. Designed to complement the academic curriculum with nature-based experiences.
• Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised (Phonics & Early Reading) Systematic synthetic phonics programme (SSP) covering Phases 2–6 from Reception through Year 2, used to teach children to read quickly and skilfully using sounds.
• HIAS Maths Scheme of Learning Mathematics curriculum carefully sequenced to ensure clear progression and build securely on prior knowledge, used alongside Maths Mastery in KS1.
• PlanBee Science Scheme of Work Science curriculum aligned with PlanBee, sequenced from EYFS to Year 6 to build scientific knowledge, vocabulary and enquiry skills.
• Kapow Primary Music Curriculum Carefully sequenced music curriculum from EYFS to Year 6 covering singing, listening, composing and performing.
• Teach Computing Scheme of Work Clear and progressive computing curriculum covering computer science, information technology and digital literacy.
• Life to the Full (TenTen Resources) Catholic-approved Relationship and Health Education (RHE) programme providing a clear and progressive approach across themes of loving relationships, personal health and emotional wellbeing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pupils are outstanding ambassadors for their school
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Diocese of PortsmouthcoreOthersHoly Cross operates within the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth, receiving diocese oversight and support for Catholic education. The school is part of the diocese network of Catholic schools.
• Mountbatten HospiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with patients and carers at local Mountbatten Hospice on joint art project. School values links with crucial Island services.
• CAFODminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic agency for overseas development. Pupil-led fundraising for CAFOD Advent Appeals. School teaches Catholic Social Teaching principles including solidarity with global sisters and brothers.
• The Salvation ArmyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPupil-led fundraising for Salvation Army appeals as part of Catholic Social Teaching and charitable outreach.
• Isle of Wight Foodbank / The PantryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvest collection supporting local foodbank. School actively engages in supporting local community through food donations and charitable projects.
• RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool invites RNLI visitors to share experiences with pupils, promoting community engagement and water safety awareness appropriate for Isle of Wight location.
• Osborne HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for educational visits including Christmas cracker making tradition and nature planting activities at Osborne House.
• Portsmouth Historic DockyardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents participated in Solent Sea Shanty Sing event at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as part of cultural experiences.
• Winchester Science CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational visits to Winchester Science Centre to promote love of science through exciting mainland visits.

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School: Network of Catholic primary schools across England operating under diocesan governance with similar Religious Education curriculum and Catholic Social Teaching emphasis.
• St Bede's Catholic Primary School: Catholic primary school with parallel inspection regime, faith-led ethos and similar pupil intake patterns to Holy Cross.
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ryde: The other Catholic primary school on the Isle of Wight, also within the Diocese of Portsmouth. Direct geographical and faith-based peer serving the same island Catholic community.
• St Edmund Campion Catholic Primary School: Catholic primary school offering K–6 education with parallel faith formation and academic curriculum structure, comparable scale and pupil mix to Holy Cross.
• St Peter's Catholic Primary School: Small Catholic primary school with similar age range, diocesan affiliation model, and emphasis on Catholic values integrated with the National Curriculum.
• Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School: Catholic primary school operating under similar diocesan oversight in the south of England, providing a comparable faith-based primary education model with similar curriculum and governance structure.

Regional players

• Lanesend Primary School: A neighbouring non-faith primary school on the Isle of Wight serving the same geographic catchment area; competing for the same pool of island families seeking primary education.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth Education Service: The diocesan education authority that governs Holy Cross and a wider network of Catholic schools across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Dorset and Sussex. Sets curriculum and inspection framework applied to Holy Cross.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat1 record

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holy-cross-catholic-primary-school-east-cowes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Holy Cross Catholic Primary School