Best Schools in Skelmersdale

How many schools are there in Skelmersdale?

Skelmersdale has 27 open schools: 19 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through and 6 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Skelmersdale are rated Outstanding?

5 schools in Skelmersdale were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Elm Tree Community Primary School; Crawford Village Primary School; Cobbs Brow School; Kingsbury Primary Special School; and St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale. Counting Good as well, 88% of the 25 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Elm Tree Community Primary SchoolCrawford Village Primary SchoolCobbs Brow SchoolKingsbury Primary Special SchoolSt Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Skelmersdale get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Skelmersdale with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Lathom High School : A Technology College, with an Attainment 8 score of 41.6 and 40% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 39.5 and 24% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Hope High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 6.4 and 0% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Lathom High School : A Technology CollegeOur Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High SchoolHope High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Skelmersdale have the best SATs results?

Of the 18 primary schools in Skelmersdale with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Crow Orchard Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Crawford Village Primary School (100% in reading, 92% in maths); and St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale (91% in reading, 87% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Crow Orchard Primary SchoolCrawford Village Primary SchoolSt James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Skelmersdale?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Skelmersdale selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Skelmersdale have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Skelmersdale have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Skelmersdale?

Apply to your council - Lancashire or St. Helens, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.