School Chooser

St Christopher's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedRoman Catholic389 pupilsNurseryLiverpool
School Chooser Score
18
Below
similar schools
Likely range 10 to 32
Out of 100. Better than 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, May 2026
Reached the expected level at 1160%England 63%
Attendance93.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families57%Far more than most schools
Places31 spare389 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher26.5School workforce census

St Christopher's Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Liverpool for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 389 pupils and room for 420. About 57 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 18 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in May 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Tarbock Road, Speke, Liverpool, L24 0SN0151 486 2835stchristophersprimary.comMrs Nicola Harrop headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 12 May 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
As expected
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”
As expected
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 (2)
DateTypeOutcome
29 March 2022S5 InspectionGood
28 November 2019UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1160%
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 score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 69%69%20172018: 52%52%20182019: 49%49%20192023: 35%35%20232024: 40%40%20242025: 60%60%2025
Since 2017: -9%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LiverpoolEngland
Pupils tested424562454435
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths60%40%35%49%52%69%58%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%4%2%4%5%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0101.0100.0104.0103.0104.0104.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0101.0100.0102.0101.0105.0103.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0102.0100.0104.0103.0105.0104.7105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard69%62%48%76%70%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard71%60%53%76%73%83%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)69%51%53%58%75%71%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.0-0.3+0.8+3.6
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.2-2.5-1.1+3.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged55%43%32%56%59%65%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged64%35%39%39%41%75%

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. 2 of the 4 gaps are 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
55%64%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
53%63%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
50%60%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 4 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. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places362 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
86% full

About 58 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

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 Liverpool 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 roll389Census January 2026
Places42093% full
Pupils from low-income families54%57% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English21%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%61 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%17 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.115 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)54%£300,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls201 / 188
White British pupils73%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.1 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (32), Autistic spectrum disorder (25), emotional and mental health (15), Hearing impairment (2), Vision impairment (2), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll389392395391370376
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals54%45%41%38%37%40%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language21%26%22%21%22%21%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%11%12%28%21%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%2%1%0%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school21.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.02024/25, 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 absence7.0%7.1%7.7%8.4%6.3%5.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.1%3.9%4.3%5.6%4.3%3.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.9%3.2%3.4%2.8%2.0%1.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence21.9%21.4%23.4%29.4%20.7%15.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.01.51.31.92.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers14.2full-time equivalent, 15 people
Pupils per teacher26.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,353
Teachers who left in the year7%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.52024/25

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£7,075England £7,738. Total £2.7m
Income per pupil£7,310England £7,697. Total £2.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,342England £3,480
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £121k, £323 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£88kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,075spent 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 m51612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate121 per 1,000 people33% higher than the England average
Typical house price£176,500Liverpool
Nearest bus stop300 mTarbock Road, 13 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
Stockton Wood Community Primary SchoolCouncil780 m356Report card 202623Compare
Middlefield Community Primary SchoolCouncil860 m353Good 202474Compare
Hunts Cross Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles328Good 202323Compare
St Andrew the Apostle Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.0 miles241No overall grade 202561Compare
St Ambrose Catholic AcademyAcademy1.1 miles181No overall grade 202545Compare
Yew Tree Primary AcademyAcademy1.1 miles226Good 20237Compare
St Mark's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.5 miles217No overall grade 202423Compare
Plantation Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles485Report card 202613Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Christopher's Catholic 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.

Beats35%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 18 is 10 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 28 · highest 88100

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 St Christopher'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
Hope Primary School - A Joint Catholic and Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England/Roman Catholic5.7 miles428No overall grade 202431Compare
Wellesbourne Community Primary SchoolCouncil7.7 miles378Report card 202631Compare
Fazakerley Primary SchoolCouncil9.0 miles425No overall grade 202540Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 18 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 18% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 10 to 32. 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
-0.22
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 42 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.19
Ofsted report card, 0.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.05
DfE progress measure; 42 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.17
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.13
2024/25; 324 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 42 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 Christopher's Catholic Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. St Christopher's Catholic Primary School scores 18 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 10 to 32, 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 St Christopher's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 12 May 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as needs attention, leadership as as expected.

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

In summer 2025, 60% 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 St Christopher's Catholic Primary School have?

389 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 93% full.

Is St Christopher's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 58 places were empty in 2024/25 (14% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

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

Pupils were in school 93.0% 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 Christopher's Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 25.1 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
Tarbock Road, Speke, Liverpool, L24 0SN
Telephone
0151 486 2835
Website
www.stchristophersprimary.com
Headteacher
Mrs Nicola Harrop
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
Liverpool
Ward
Speke
Constituency
Liverpool Garston
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2002 (result of amalgamation)
URN
133615 · LAESTAB 3413024 · UKPRN 10079194
Formerly
St Christopher's Catholic Junior School, St Christopher's Catholic Infant School

Where these figures come from