School Chooser

St Peter's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedRoman Catholic211 pupilsWarrington
School Chooser Score
95
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 89 to 98
Out of 100. Better than 83% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedOutstandingLast Ofsted inspection, April 2024
Reached the expected level at 1179%England 63%
Attendance96.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families11%Far fewer than most schools
Parents would recommend91%23 Parent View responses
PlacesFull211 pupils, 210 places

St Peter's Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Warrington for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 211 pupils, 1 more than it has places for. About 11 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 95 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 83% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2024.

Hillock Lane, Woolston, Warrington, WA1 4PQ01925 815314stpeterswoolston.co.ukMrs Helen Lea headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 April 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

33 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 level9%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score109.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 88%88%20172018: 70%70%20182019: 84%84%20192023: 84%84%20232024: 78%78%20242025: 79%79%2025
Since 2017: -9%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017WarringtonEngland
Pupils tested333232323032
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths79%78%84%84%70%88%68%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths9%3%6%13%10%6%9%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0109.0109.0110.0108.0109.0106.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score109.0108.0108.0108.0105.0107.0105.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0110.0109.0109.0108.0109.0106.4105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard82%94%94%97%83%94%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard97%88%91%94%83%88%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)88%88%88%91%90%88%
Reading progressReading progress score+4.3+3.9+1.8+2.8
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.3+1.5-0.2+0.6

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 11Boys vs girls
79%79%
No gapEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
83%79%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 4 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.

Full215 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
102% full

The school is full, with 5 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same 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 (25 offers for 30 places).

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary3025all offeredLA

What parents say

Would recommend the school91%England 87%
My child is happy here100%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe96%
Positive overall
My child is happy at this school
100%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
96%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
87%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
17% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
75%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
87%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
30% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
86%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
78%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
70%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
83%England 82%
I would recommend this school
91%England 87%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 23 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 roll211Census January 2026
Places210100% full
Pupils from low-income families11%11% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English22%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%33 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.17 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils43%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)11%£37,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls98 / 113
White British pupils73%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 31.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (16), Specific learning difficulty (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Vision impairment (4), Moderate learning difficulty (3), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll211214212209216212
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%9%8%9%7%5%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language22%20%17%13%10%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support6%9%11%4%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%1%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.4%4.1%4.4%3.2%2.0%3.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.0%2.8%3.1%2.3%1.2%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.5%1.4%1.3%1.0%0.8%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.4%6.0%7.7%3.6%4.2%4.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers8.6full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher24.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,683
Teachers who left in the year23%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.12024/25

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£5,464England £7,738. Total £1.2m
Income per pupil£5,542England £7,697. Total £1.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,695England £3,480
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £75k, £351 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£17kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,464spent 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 m16012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate55 per 1,000 people40% lower than the England average
Typical house price£255,000Warrington
Nearest bus stop40 mSt Peters School, 15 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
Woolston CofE Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England140 m208Good 202382Compare
Woolston Community Primary SchoolAcademy260 m230Good 202333Compare
Bruche AcademyAcademy0.6 miles243Good 202295Compare
Christ Church CofE Primary School PadgateChurch of England0.9 miles307Good 202373Compare
St Oswald's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.2 miles185Good 202368Compare
Thelwall Community Junior SchoolCouncil1.3 miles162Not inspected48Compare
Thelwall Infant SchoolAcademy1.4 miles140Good 202381Compare
Brook Acre Community Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles211Good 202255Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Peter'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.

Beats83%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 95 is 13 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 82 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 95 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 95% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 89 to 98. 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
+0.20
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 33 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.40
Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.16
DfE progress measure; 33 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.03
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.11
2024/25; 185 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 33 pupils
What parents say5%in line
+0.01
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 23 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 Peter's Catholic Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Peter's Catholic Primary School scores 95 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 83% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 89 to 98, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

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

Ofsted rated St Peter's Catholic Primary School outstanding at its last full inspection on 17 April 2024.

How good are St Peter'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%. 9% went further and reached the higher level.

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

211 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 100% full.

Is St Peter's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 5 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

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

Pupils were in school 96.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

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

91% of the 23 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 100% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

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

The average class had 30.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 43% 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
Hillock Lane, Woolston, Warrington, WA1 4PQ
Telephone
01925 815314
Website
www.stpeterswoolston.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Helen Lea
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Liverpool
Local authority
Warrington
Ward
Rixton and Woolston
Constituency
Warrington North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
111370 · LAESTAB 8773613 · UKPRN 10070189

Where these figures come from