School Chooser

St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic168 pupilsNurseryRuncornHalton
School Chooser Score
33
Below
similar schools
Likely range 12 to 67, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 75% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, September 2023
Reached the expected level at 1150%England 63%
Attendance92.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families41%Far more than most schools
Places7 spare168 pupils, 175 places
Pupils per teacher19.1School workforce census

St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is a sponsored academy in Runcorn for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 168 pupils and room for 175. About 41 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 33 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 75% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Conwy Court, Castlefields, Runcorn, WA7 2JJ01928 568936staugustines-runcorn.comMrs Elizabeth Lambe headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 26 September 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

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

8 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1150%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level13%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score102.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score100.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 73%73%20172018: 38%38%20182019: 64%64%20192023: 70%70%20232024: 60%60%20242025: 50%50%2025
Since 2017: -23%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017HaltonEngland
Pupils tested82010141311
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths50%60%70%64%38%73%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths13%5%0%7%0%9%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.0103.0105.0103.097.0102.0104.7105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score100.0102.0106.0101.0100.0104.0103.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0103.0104.0105.0100.0104.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard63%70%70%71%38%73%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard50%70%70%71%62%82%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%65%70%86%54%82%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.6+1.9+0.3+3.8
Maths progressMaths progress score+4.1+0.0+3.5+4.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged69%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged43%

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.

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.

Plenty of spare places132 pupils for 175 places, 2024/25
75% full

43 places were empty (25% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 17% since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 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 2026. Every child who applied got a place (19 offers for 25 places).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary25184119all offeredLA
2024 Primary25192818all 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 roll168Census January 2026
Places17596% full
Pupils from low-income families41%41% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English5%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support33%55 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.08 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)45%£106,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls88 / 80
White British pupils80%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 21.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 21.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (19), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (16), language and communications needs (16), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Specific learning difficulty (3), Moderate learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll168146138129128122
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals41%42%51%50%48%48%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language5%6%6%7%5%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%23%26%18%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%4%2%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school21.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.4%7.7%7.6%8.8%6.5%4.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.6%3.8%3.1%5.8%3.8%3.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.9%3.9%4.5%3.0%2.7%1.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence21.7%23.9%24.3%34.9%19.0%17.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.70.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers8.8full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher19.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£44,322
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.62024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£8,255England £7,128. Total £1.2m
Income per pupil£8,752England £7,587. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,538England £3,405
Money in reserve12%A healthy amount put by: £154k, £1,062 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£72kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,255spent 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 m27812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate138 per 1,000 people51% higher than the England average
Typical house price£190,000Halton
Nearest bus stop130 mCastlefields Ctr., 10 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
Astmoor Primary SchoolCouncil140 m144No overall grade 202412Compare
Bridgewater Park Primary SchoolAcademy460 m91Report card 20266Compare
The Brow Community Primary SchoolCouncil730 m136Good 20226Compare
St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy930 m184Not inspected36Compare
Windmill Hill Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles148Good 202458Compare
Castle View Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles176Good 202288Compare
St Berteline's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles252No overall grade 2024Compare
The Holy Spirit Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.0 miles75Good 202413Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy 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.

Beats75%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 33 is 13 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 20 · highest 83100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 33 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 33% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 12 to 67. 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
2024 results; 20 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.04
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 20 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.00
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.13
2024/25; 115 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.02
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 20 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 St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy scores 33 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 75% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 12 to 67, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy good at its last full inspection on 26 September 2023.

How good are St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 50% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 13% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy have?

168 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 175 places, so it is 96% full.

Is St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 43 places were empty in 2024/25 (25% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?

Pupils were in school 92.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?

The average class had 21.0 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
Conwy Court, Castlefields, Runcorn, WA7 2JJ
Telephone
01928 568936
Website
www.staugustines-runcorn.com
Headteacher
Mrs Elizabeth Lambe
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Shrewsbury
Multi-academy trust
Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust (9 schools)
Local authority
Halton
Ward
Halton Castle
Constituency
Runcorn and Helsby
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 July 2015 (new provision)
URN
141980 · LAESTAB 8762002 · UKPRN 10049496
Formerly
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School

Where these figures come from