Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School, Southport
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The school creates a warm, welcoming environment where pupils enjoy learning and have excellent relationships with staff who really understand them. Leaders have quickly responded to challenges and are making improvements in reading and mathematics. The school prioritises pupils' safety and happiness, with strong safeguarding practices and support for children who start with lower language skills.
Key Strengths
- Warm Christian character and safe, emotionally secure environment where pupils thrive
- Effective leadership team focused on staff development and consistency in teaching
- Strong safeguarding culture with knowledgeable staff who act swiftly to address concerns
- Good progress for disadvantaged pupils, particularly in reading, with targeted support from low starting points
- High-quality middle leadership in English, mathematics and science with regular feedback to staff
Areas for Improvement
- Progress in reading and mathematics at end of key stage 2 dropped markedly in 2017 compared to previous years
- More able pupils not consistently challenged in writing lessons and sometimes repeat work they can already do
- Persistent punctuation errors in pupils' writing, particularly in lower key stage 2
- Governors need clearer analysis of how funding for disadvantaged pupils is used to evaluate its effectiveness
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with a pervasive safeguarding culture, knowledgeable and caring staff, swift action on concerns, and pupils showing excellent awareness of how to keep themselves safe including online.
Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School continues to be good. The leadership team has maintained educational quality since the last inspection in 2012, creating a warm, welcoming Christian environment where pupils are keen to learn and enjoy strong relationships with staff.
At a Glance
45.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 55% to 61%. Maths has remained stable at around 48%. Writing has remained stable at around 55%.
Class Sizes
19.0
Avg class size
19.0
Infant (KS1)
23.0
KS2
7
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
95%
Near capacity
194 pupils
205 capacity
11 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Southport
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Southport
Admissions Demand - Sefton
Places available
3,095
Applications
2,536
Got 1st preference
92.8%
Got preferred school
98.5%
Primary admissions across Sefton (2025/26)
Inspection History(106)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.62235%
Overall absence
20%
Persistent absence
155
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School
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