Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, St Helens
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 8 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Holy Cross provides excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and creates a caring, nurturing environment where families feel valued. The school has successfully raised phonics standards to match national levels and is making recent progress in writing. Parents particularly appreciate the extra support staff provide and the school's commitment to helping all children succeed.
Key Strengths
- Early years children make good progress and are well prepared for the next stage of learning
- Recent improvements in writing in key stage 2, supported by senior leadership partnership
- Safeguarding is effective with a culture of quickly responding to pupil needs
- Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
- Phonics standards have risen to match national figures
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils' progress in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 1 is weak, with too few achieving expected standards
- Teaching is not consistently strong - teachers do not always use assessment effectively or stretch all pupils
- High levels of pupil absence mean many children miss learning opportunities
- Middle leadership has limited impact on quality of teaching in subject areas
- Pupils do not consistently display positive attitudes to learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has created a culture of quickly responding to pupil needs and works tirelessly with outside agencies to support families.
Extracurricular Activities
Reading sessions, fundraising for Young Carers organisation, mock elections
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School requires improvement overall. The school has experienced staffing challenges that have slowed progress, though recent improvements in writing and early years provision are noted.
At a Glance
34.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 72% to 64%. Maths has declined from 60% to 56%. Writing has remained stable at around 64%.
Class Sizes
25.8
Avg class size
24.7
Infant (KS1)
27.3
KS2
8
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
94%
Near capacity
197 pupils
210 capacity
13 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - St Helens
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for St Helens
Admissions Demand - St. Helens
Places available
2,195
Applications
1,726
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
99.2%
Primary admissions across St. Helens (2025/26)
Inspection History(10)
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
5.24556%
Overall absence
18.78788%
Persistent absence
165
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
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
Nearby Schools
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