Fender Primary School, Wirral

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades Fender Primary School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard, 4 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders' vision for all pupils to be included is lived out at Fender."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "In recent years, leaders have made a myriad of positive changes to the curriculum for all year groups and subjects."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have a secure and ambitious vision for children to have the best start to their educational journey."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including governors, have pupils' interests at the heart of every decision they make."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school values are embedded in the recently strengthened programme to promote pupils' personal development and wellbeing."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has been below the national average by the time they leave Year 6."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Leaders have recently prioritised improvements in how often pupils attend school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should build on their improvements to the curriculum for teaching essential knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics so that the gaps that exist in older pupils' knowledge are reduced and their attainment improves by the end of Year 6"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers provide the additional support and challenge that some pupils need to deepen their learning further"; "Leaders should review and refine the procedures for tackling pupil absence so that there is sustained improvement in attendance rates for all groups of pupils".

In 2025, 47% of Year 6 pupils at Fender Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 41% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 69% in Wirral and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 51% in reading and 54% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 42 families put Fender Primary School as their first choice and 50 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Fender Primary School are Woodchurch CofE Primary School (0.4 miles); St Peter's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 66% reading, 72% maths); St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 87% reading, 68% maths); and Co-op Academy Hillside (0.7 miles, 83% reading, 74% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Fender Primary School.

61.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 83 pupils (30.2%) received SEN support and 39 (14.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

Fender Primary School has a resourced provision for autism: 30 places, 30 pupils on roll.

Fender Primary School had 18 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Upton Rail Station, about 1070 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Selbourne Close (adjacent), 60 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Fender Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Fender Primary School issued 19 suspensions, 7.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Fender Primary School are Woodchurch High School (0.3 miles), Ridgeway High School (0.4 miles) and Upton Hall School FCJ (0.9 miles).