School Chooser

Park Brow Community Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedCouncil457 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubLiverpoolKnowsley
School Chooser Score
5
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 3 to 9
Out of 100. Better than 15% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, January 2026
Reached the expected level at 1152%England 63%
Attendance92.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families51%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull457 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher24.7School workforce census

Park Brow Community Primary School is a council school in Liverpool for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 457 pupils, 37 more than it has places for. About 51 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 5 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 15% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in January 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Broad Lane, Southdene, Kirkby, Liverpool, L32 6QH0151 477 8540parkbrowprimary.co.ukMiss Claire Swinburn headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 13 January 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
Needs attention
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Needs attention
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
Needs attention
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
14 July 2021UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1152%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 47%47%20172018: 63%63%20182019: 71%71%20192023: 50%50%20232024: 40%40%20242025: 52%52%2025
Since 2017: +5%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017KnowsleyEngland
Pupils tested545560594359
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths52%40%50%71%63%47%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%2%2%17%5%3%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0101.0101.0106.0101.0100.0105.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0101.0101.0106.0102.0104.0104.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0100.099.0102.0102.0104.0104.4105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard69%64%62%81%72%47%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard65%62%65%85%74%80%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)67%60%58%75%72%75%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.8+3.8-0.6-0.3
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.6+3.7+0.7+3.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged47%23%32%64%50%39%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged61%63%78%88%87%67%

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. Every gap at this school 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
47%61%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%53%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 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 places395 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
94% full

About 25 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.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Knowsley council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll457Census January 2026
Places420109% full
Pupils from low-income families47%51% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English13%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support20%90 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%27 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.116 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils19%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)52%£325,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls228 / 229
White British pupils83%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.4 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (39), Moderate learning difficulty (25), Autistic spectrum disorder (20), emotional and mental health (19), Physical disability (4), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll457461466463463443
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals47%46%45%46%42%43%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language13%11%8%6%6%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%14%16%18%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%5%4%4%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school23.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.7%8.9%8.7%8.2%5.1%4.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.9%5.0%4.9%5.4%3.4%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.9%4.0%3.9%2.8%1.7%2.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence23.4%31.4%31.0%29.0%17.3%12.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.53.42.40.70.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers17.8full-time equivalent, 18 people
Pupils per teacher24.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants28.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,861
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.92024/25

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£7,737England £7,738. Total £3.4m
Income per pupil£7,434England £7,697. Total £3.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,873England £3,480
Money in reserve-3%In the red: -£86k, -£194 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£134kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,737spent 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 m47312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate98 per 1,000 people7% higher than the England average
Typical house price£195,000Knowsley
Nearest bus stop60 mBroad Lane, 19 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
St Laurence's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic420 m390Not inspected26Compare
St Joseph the Worker Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic990 m237Good 202226Compare
Northwood Community Primary School (With Designated Special Provision)Council0.7 miles471Not inspected22Compare
St Marie's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic0.9 miles222No overall grade 202410Compare
Kirkby CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England0.9 miles307Good 202358Compare
Millbrook Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles325No overall grade 202432Compare
St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.2 miles419Report card 20263Compare
Eastcroft Park SchoolCouncil1.4 miles222Report card 202622Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Park Brow Community Primary School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats15%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 5 is 21 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 27 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Park Brow Community Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Fazakerley Primary SchoolCouncil2.1 miles425No overall grade 202540Compare
Leamington Community Primary SchoolCouncil3.2 miles439Good 202336Compare
Knowsley Lane Primary SchoolAcademy3.5 miles434Report card 202627Compare
Northcote Primary SchoolCouncil4.0 miles445Good 201914Compare
Christ Church Church of England Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England4.8 miles440Good 202317Compare
St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic5.0 miles413Good 202333Compare
Bedford Drive Primary SchoolCouncil9.5 miles406Good 202213Compare
The Acorns Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy13.5 miles356Not inspected49Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 5 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 5% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 3 to 9. 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
-0.23
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 54 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.35
Ofsted report card, 0.7 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.12
DfE progress measure; 54 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.16
2024/25; 355 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 54 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 Park Brow Community Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Park Brow Community Primary School scores 5 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 15% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 3 to 9, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Park Brow Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 13 January 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as needs attention, leadership as needs attention.

How good are Park Brow Community Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 52% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Park Brow Community Primary School have?

457 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 109% full.

Is Park Brow Community Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 25 places were empty in 2024/25 (6% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Park Brow Community Primary School?

Pupils were in school 92.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 23% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Park Brow Community Primary School?

The average class had 27.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 19% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Park Brow Community Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Broad Lane, Southdene, Kirkby, Liverpool, L32 6QH
Telephone
0151 477 8540
Website
www.parkbrowprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Miss Claire Swinburn
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Knowsley
Ward
Northwood
Constituency
Knowsley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
104429 · LAESTAB 3402015 · UKPRN 10069963

Where these figures come from