School Chooser

St Aidan's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedRoman Catholic220 pupilsNurseryLiverpoolKnowsley
School Chooser Score
6
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 3 to 13
Out of 100. Better than 6% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, February 2026
Reached the expected level at 1148%England 63%
Attendance92.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families38%Far more than most schools
Parents would recommend50%12 Parent View responses
Places23 spare220 pupils, 243 places

St Aidan's Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Liverpool for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 220 pupils and room for 243. About 38 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 6 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in February 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Adswood Road, Huyton, Liverpool, L36 7XR0151 477 8370staidanscatholicprimary.comMiss Kathryn Fitzsimmons headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 3 February 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”
As expected
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 October 2021UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1148%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score99.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 61%61%20172018: 75%75%20182019: 69%69%20192023: 35%35%20232024: 48%48%20242025: 48%48%2025
Since 2017: -13%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017KnowsleyEngland
Pupils tested252326292423
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths48%48%35%69%75%61%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%4%0%7%8%9%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0101.0104.0103.0106.0104.0105.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score99.097.0100.0104.0105.0104.0104.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.099.0102.0104.0108.0108.0104.4105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard72%57%69%69%83%65%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard52%52%50%76%88%78%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)64%61%58%76%92%74%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.5+0.6+1.9+2.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.5+0.8+2.0+2.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged47%27%12%65%73%57%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged50%67%78%78%78%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%50%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
47%50%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 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. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places194 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
92% full

About 16 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.

What parents say

Would recommend the school50%England 87%
My child is happy here58%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe67%
Positive overall50%
My child is happy at this school
58%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
67%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
50%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
25% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
33%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
58%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
42% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
20%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
67%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
58%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
58%England 82%
I would recommend this school
50%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
50%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 12 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

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 roll220Census January 2026
Places24391% full
Pupils from low-income families36%38% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English11%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support30%65 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.010 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%£116,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls115 / 105
White British pupils86%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (34), Moderate learning difficulty (20), language and communications needs (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (6), Hearing impairment (1), Vision impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll220216218222228234
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals36%38%40%40%40%38%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language11%10%5%4%4%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%17%8%10%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%2%1%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school23.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.2%7.2%7.9%7.6%4.7%4.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.8%3.8%4.6%5.1%2.4%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.4%3.4%3.3%2.5%2.3%2.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence23.7%19.6%28.7%27.1%15.1%8.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.41.80.53.10.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers10.0full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher21.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,017
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.62024/25

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£7,560England £7,738. Total £1.6m
Income per pupil£7,252England £7,697. Total £1.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,485England £3,480
Money in reserve1%Very little put by: £8,066, £38 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£65kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,560spent 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 m19912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate71 per 1,000 people22% lower than the England average
Typical house price£195,000Knowsley
Nearest bus stop100 mLongview Lane, 16 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 Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic280 m202Outstanding 202390Compare
St Columba's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic870 m224No overall grade 202418Compare
Huyton With Roby Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy890 m379Report card 202649Compare
Willow Tree Primary SchoolAcademy910 m176Good 202322Compare
St Gabriel's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles216Good 202429Compare
Knowsley Lane Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles434Report card 202627Compare
St Aloysius Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic0.8 miles346No overall grade 202575Compare
Sylvester Primary AcademyAcademy0.8 miles294Not inspected37Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Aidan's Catholic Primary School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats6%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 6 is 27 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 33 · highest 97100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Aidan's Catholic 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
St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the CommunityRoman Catholic1.8 miles229Good 202351Compare
St Gregory's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic2.0 miles233Good 202418Compare
Knowsley Village SchoolCouncil2.3 miles175No overall grade 202512Compare
St Mark's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic3.8 miles217No overall grade 202423Compare
St Oswald's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England7.3 miles223Good 202258Compare
Lyme Community Primary SchoolCouncil7.9 miles218No overall grade 202435Compare
Brookside Primary SchoolCouncil10.6 miles184Good 202320Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 6 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 6% 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 13. 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
-0.19
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 25 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.23
Ofsted report card, 0.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.17
DfE progress measure; 25 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.13
2024/25; 173 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.10
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 25 pupils
What parents say5%well below
-0.08
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 12 responses

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 St Aidan's Catholic Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. St Aidan's Catholic Primary School scores 6 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 3 to 13, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Aidan's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 3 February 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as needs attention, leadership as as expected.

How good are St Aidan's Catholic Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 48% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Aidan's Catholic Primary School have?

220 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 243 places, so it is 91% full.

Is St Aidan's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 16 places were empty in 2024/25 (8% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 92.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 24% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about St Aidan's Catholic Primary School?

50% of the 12 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 58% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at St Aidan's Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 22.0 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
Adswood Road, Huyton, Liverpool, L36 7XR
Telephone
0151 477 8370
Website
www.staidanscatholicprimary.com
Headteacher
Miss Kathryn Fitzsimmons
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Liverpool
Local authority
Knowsley
Ward
St Michaels
Constituency
Knowsley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
104463 · LAESTAB 3403318 · UKPRN 10075039

Where these figures come from