School Chooser

Lyme Community Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil218 pupilsNurseryNewton-le-WillowsSt. Helens
School Chooser Score
35
Below
similar schools
Likely range 17 to 60, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 53% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, November 2024
Reached the expected level at 1162%England 63%
Attendance93.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families36%Far more than most schools
Places27 spare218 pupils, 245 places
Pupils per teacher22.2School workforce census

Lyme Community Primary School is a council school in Newton-le-Willows for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 218 pupils and room for 245. About 36 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 35 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 53% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Lyme Street, Newton-le-Willows, WA12 9HD01744 678350lyme.st-helens.sch.ukMrs Jo Roberts headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 26 November 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

29 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1162%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level10%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 43%43%20172018: 39%39%20182019: 59%59%20192023: 40%40%20232024: 38%38%20242025: 62%62%2025
Since 2017: +19%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017St. HelensEngland
Pupils tested292930292830
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths62%38%40%59%39%43%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths10%0%0%10%7%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0101.0100.0103.0100.0100.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0104.0102.0105.0100.0101.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0105.0103.0105.0103.0104.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard79%52%53%66%46%57%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard72%69%63%86%54%63%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)90%66%63%76%79%77%
Reading progressReading progress score-4.3-0.3-4.1-3.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.5+1.1-3.7-2.7
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged82%17%17%46%29%39%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged50%53%56%69%50%50%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
82%50%
Gap 32 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
65%58%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
27%10%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places191 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
91% full

About 19 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

In 2025 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2025. Every child who applied got a place.

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary303067all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll218Census January 2026
Places24589% full
Pupils from low-income families34%36% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%51 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.29 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)39%£117,800 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls102 / 116
White British pupils87%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (33), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (8), Moderate learning difficulty (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), emotional and mental health (3), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll218215211220220215
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals34%33%34%33%31%25%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%6%5%4%4%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%25%24%26%25%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school14.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.2%6.5%7.6%7.6%4.5%4.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.6%3.9%5.3%5.1%3.2%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%2.6%2.3%2.5%1.3%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence14.3%16.1%22.8%23.4%10.1%7.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.91.40.912.31.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions01000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers9.4full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher22.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants12.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,599
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.52024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,263England £7,738. Total £1.5m
Income per pupil£7,400England £7,697. Total £1.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,173England £3,480
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £37k, £176 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£29kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,263spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m23512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate54 per 1,000 people41% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop140 mSefton Street, 15 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
The District CofE Primary SchoolAcademy910 m365Good 202134Compare
St Mary's Catholic Junior AcademyAcademy0.7 miles219Requires improvement 202231Compare
St James' Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles161Good 202343Compare
Grange Valley Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles277Outstanding 202485Compare
St Mary's Catholic Infant AcademyAcademy0.9 miles173Requires improvement 20222Compare
Haydock English Martyrs' Primary SchoolCatholic0.9 miles254Good 202442Compare
Newton-le-Willows Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles563Report card 20266Compare
Wargrave CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England1.2 miles424No overall grade 202428Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Lyme Community Primary School with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats53%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 35 is 4 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 31 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 35 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 35% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 17 to 60. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.15
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 29 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 1.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.15
DfE progress measure; 29 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.18
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.04
2024/25; 168 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 29 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Lyme Community Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Lyme Community Primary School scores 35 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 53% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 17 to 60, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Lyme Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Lyme Community Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 26 November 2024.

How good are Lyme Community Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 62% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 10% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Lyme Community Primary School have?

218 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 245 places, so it is 89% full.

Is Lyme Community Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 19 places were empty in 2024/25 (9% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Lyme Community Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Lyme Community Primary School?

The average class had 24.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Lyme Street, Newton-le-Willows, WA12 9HD
Telephone
01744 678350
Website
www.lyme.st-helens.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Jo Roberts
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
St. Helens
Ward
Newton-le-Willows West
Constituency
St Helens North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
104776 · LAESTAB 3422058 · UKPRN 10073114

Where these figures come from