School Chooser

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedRoman Catholic234 pupilsNurserySefton
School Chooser Score
85
Above
similar schools
Likely range 70 to 93
Out of 100. Better than 68% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedStrong teachingOfsted report card, December 2025
Reached the expected level at 1179%England 63%
Attendance95.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families4%Far fewer than most schools
Parents would recommend94%51 Parent View responses
PlacesFull234 pupils, 210 places

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Merseyside for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 234 pupils, 24 more than it has places for. About 4 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 85 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 68% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in December 2025 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Sandy Lane, Lydiate, Liverpool, Merseyside, L31 2LB0151 526 5856stgregorysprimary.co.ukMr Joseph Perree headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 9 December 2025. 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”
Strong
Achievement
Strong
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Strong
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
Strong
Early years
Strong
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
20 October 2021UngradedSchool remains Good

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 1179%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level3%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score108.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 86%86%20172018: 76%76%20182019: 68%68%20192023: 67%67%20232024: 79%79%20242025: 79%79%2025
Since 2017: -7%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017SeftonEngland
Pupils tested292930282928
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths79%79%67%68%76%86%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%3%3%4%7%14%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0106.0105.0104.0107.0109.0105.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score108.0107.0109.0106.0107.0109.0103.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score111.0108.0107.0108.0109.0112.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard97%86%87%75%83%96%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%93%90%86%86%96%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)79%79%77%79%97%86%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.9-0.3+1.9+4.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.6+0.8+2.3+4.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged60%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged72%

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 11Boys vs girls
74%90%
Gap 16 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.

Nearly full209 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
100% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. 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 (22 offers for 30 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary306222all offeredLA
2024 Primary307530LA
2023 Primary306730LA

What parents say

Would recommend the school94%England 87%
My child is happy here96%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe94%
Positive overall92%
My child is happy at this school
96%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
94%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
90%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
4% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
0%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
96%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
18% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
44%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
84%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
69%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
88%England 82%
I would recommend this school
94%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
92%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 51 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 roll234Census January 2026
Places210111% full
Pupils from low-income families4%4% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%31 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.38 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils50%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)4%£13,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls124 / 110
White British pupils97%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (9), language and communications needs (9), Specific learning difficulty (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Hearing impairment (2), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll234234242240241240
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals4%5%5%3%2%3%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%6%8%4%5%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%1%0%0%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school7.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.62024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.2%5.2%4.6%4.4%1.5%3.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%3.9%3.5%3.6%1.3%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.3%1.1%0.8%0.2%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence7.1%10.4%5.5%5.6%0.6%3.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.62.50.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.8full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher23.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,923
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.82024/25

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£6,611England £7,738. Total £1.5m
Income per pupil£6,053England £7,697. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,919England £3,480
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £204k, £881 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£130kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,611spent 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 m7212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate28 per 1,000 people69% lower than the England average
Typical house price£227,000Sefton
Nearest bus stop50 mNursery 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
Lydiate Primary SchoolCouncil190 m224Good 202423Compare
St Thomas Church of England Primary School, LydiateAcademy770 m236Outstanding 202498Compare
Green Park Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles245Not inspected47Compare
St John Bosco Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic0.7 miles206Good 202266Compare
Northway Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles370Good 202358Compare
St Andrews Church of England Primary School, MaghullAcademy1.1 miles218Good 202263Compare
St George's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.6 miles235Good 202354Compare
Summerhill Primary SchoolCouncil1.7 miles215Good 202378Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Gregory'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.

Beats68%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 85 is 13 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 24 · middle 72 · highest 100100

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 Gregory'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 Thomas Church of England Primary School, LydiateAcademy770 m236Outstanding 202498Compare
Cronton Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy12.2 miles233Outstanding 202491Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 85 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 85% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 70 to 93. 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%above
+0.13
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 29 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.20
Ofsted report card, 0.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.04
DfE progress measure; 29 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.08
2024/25; 183 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 29 pupils
What parents say5%above
+0.03
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 51 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 Gregory's Catholic Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Gregory's Catholic Primary School scores 85 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 68% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 70 to 93, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

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

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 9 December 2025 it rated teaching as strong, achievement as strong, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as strong.

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

In summer 2025, 79% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.

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

234 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 111% full.

Is St Gregory's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

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

Pupils were in school 95.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

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

94% of the 51 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 96% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

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

The average class had 29.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 50% of classes 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
Sandy Lane, Lydiate, Liverpool, Merseyside, L31 2LB
Telephone
0151 526 5856
Website
www.stgregorysprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Joseph Perree
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
Sefton
Ward
Park
Constituency
Sefton Central
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
104936 · LAESTAB 3433367 · UKPRN 10074968

Where these figures come from