Grange Valley Primary School, St Helens
Grange Valley Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in St Helens. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 14th-highest of the 36 schools in St Helens with published results, and 6,591st of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.6 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2016)
- Demand
- 1.6 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to St. Helens (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Grange Valley Primary School in detail
Grange Valley Primary School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Grange Valley Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 82% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in St. Helens and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 76% in reading and 64% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Grange Valley Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 47 families put Grange Valley Primary School as their first choice and 88 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is 1.6 first choices for every place. 19 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Grange Valley Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Grange Valley Primary School are St James' Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 75% reading, 95% maths); Haydock English Martyrs' Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 76% reading, 73% maths); Legh Vale Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 66% reading, 56% maths); and Lyme Community Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 79% reading, 72% maths).
Grange Valley Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
St James' Church of England Primary SchoolHaydock English Martyrs' Primary SchoolLegh Vale Primary SchoolLyme Community Primary School
Who goes there
12.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Earlestown Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Grange Valley (near), 300 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Grange Valley Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Grange Valley Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Grange Valley Primary School are Outwood Academy Haydock (0.4 miles); The Byrchall High School (1.8 miles); St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield (1.8 miles); and Hope Academy (1.8 miles).
Outwood Academy HaydockThe Byrchall High SchoolSt Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-MakerfieldHope Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2016, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Grange Valley is an outstanding school where children genuinely love coming to school. Staff have high expectations for all pupils and provide expertly-designed lessons that help children make strong connections between what they already know and new learning, resulting in deep subject knowledge. The school prioritises reading across everything it does, with excellent phonics teaching and a well-stocked library that children relish using.
Key Strengths
- Rich and ambitious curriculum that flows seamlessly from age 2 to Year 6, with clear sequencing of what pupils should learn
- Exceptional support for pupils with SEND, who access the same broad curriculum and achieve highly
- Reading is at the heart of everything - effective phonics teaching, well-stocked library, and swift identification of pupils needing catch-up support
- Exemplary pupil behaviour and strong relationships - pupils understand rules, are kind and caring, and take pride in their responsibilities
- Wide range of enriching experiences and opportunities that develop pupils' broader development and prepare them well for modern Britain
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
orienteering, camping, cycling, residential trips, museum visits, breakfast club, after-school club, school magazine
Grange Valley Primary School continues to be an outstanding school where pupils flourish and receive an exceptional education. Pupils are happy, achieve highly, and benefit from a rich and ambitious curriculum delivered by well-trained staff.
At a Glance
12.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 64% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 71% to 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.3
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Grange Valley Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Grange Valley Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Grange Valley Primary School is in St. Helens; for families living there:
Apply to St. Helens for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in St. Helens is 11.5 (the median across 80 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Grange Valley Primary School
Will you get a place at Grange Valley Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Grange Valley Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Grange Valley Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Grange Valley Primary School.
- St. Helens publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Grange Valley Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Grange Valley Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in St. Helens got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
207 pupils
210 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - St Helens
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St Helens
Across St. Helens council
Places available
2,180
Applications
1,809
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across St. Helens council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: 1.6 first choices per place
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
40
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
19.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
277
Total Pupils
142
Boys
135
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
25.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,977
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,451
Per pupil
£1232k
Total funding
£50k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
8.4%
Persistent absence
178
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Grange Valley Primary School
What are SATs results like at Grange Valley Primary School?
Of the pupils at Grange Valley Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is Grange Valley Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Grange Valley Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2016, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Grange Valley Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Grange Valley Primary School is oversubscribed, St. Helens allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Grange Valley Primary School?
Grange Valley Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Grange Valley Primary School?
Classes at Grange Valley Primary School average 30.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Grange Valley Primary School?
Grange Valley Primary School has around 277 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Grange Valley Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Grange Valley Primary School in 2024/25. 8.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Grange Valley Primary School?
Apply through St. Helens's coordinated admissions process, naming Grange Valley Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Grange Valley Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in St. Helens is 11.5 (the median across 80 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Grange Valley Primary School?
Grange Valley Primary School is at Heyes Avenue, Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 0XQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)