Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Birkenhead
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
Holy Cross is a welcoming school where all pupils, including those with additional needs, are well supported and encouraged to love learning. The teaching has improved dramatically and pupils make good progress from very low starting points. The school's strong commitment to including every child and ensuring they receive the support they need is recognised through its Inclusion Quality Mark award.
Key Strengths
- Significantly above-average progress in reading, writing and mathematics with sharply rising attainment
- Much improved teaching quality since last inspection, with good or better lessons being the norm
- Strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural development alongside good behaviour and safety understanding
- Committed and effective leadership that is driving improvements and is very approachable to parents and staff
- Dedicated governors fully involved in school life and focused on raising achievement for all pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Pupil attainment remains below average despite improving at a good pace
- Learning activities are not always challenging enough, particularly for the most able pupils
- Teachers' questions do not always encourage deep thinking and independent problem-solving
- Marking does not always clearly explain to pupils how to improve their work
- Mathematics resources and activities need to be more interesting, and reading and maths skills need more practice across other subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - pupils have good understanding of how to keep themselves safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Breakfast club, after-school activities, creative writing workshops
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is a good school that has significantly improved since its last inspection, with much better teaching and rising attainment across reading, writing and mathematics. The school is recognised for ensuring all pupils have equal access to learning and are well cared for.
At a Glance
81.5%
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 remained stable at around 73%. Maths has improved from 79% to 87%. Writing has improved from 71% to 80%.
Class Sizes
22.6
Avg class size
23.3
Infant (KS1)
23.3
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Social & online
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Train Stations
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
88%
Available places
185 pupils
210 capacity
25 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Birkenhead
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Birkenhead
Admissions Demand - Wirral
Places available
3,860
Applications
2,952
Got 1st preference
96.0%
Got preferred school
99.1%
Primary admissions across Wirral (2025/26)
Inspection History(108)
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
7.14312%
Overall absence
19.73684%
Persistent absence
152
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
The Observatory School
Wirral Hospitals' School
Weatherhead High School
Wirral Wrap
Kilgarth School
The Mosslands School
St Anselm's College
St Mary's Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy
The Oldershaw School
Nearby Schools
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