Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery, Widnes

Good
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~717m)Possible (~1.0km)Unlikely (~1.3km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Helen Rooney
Pupils:216 / 240 capacity
LA:Knowsley
Phone:01514243926
Address:Hall Lane, Cronton, Widnes, WA8 5DW
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 3 years ago
-

Overall

Inspected 19 March 2024View full report
URN:104454
UKPRN:10075043
Diocese:Archdiocese of Liverpool
Constituency:Widnes and Halewood
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Holy Family Catholic Primary School excels at teaching phonics and early reading, with almost all Year 1 pupils passing the screening check. The school maintains excellent attendance and behaviour standards, with pupils developing very positive attitudes to learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge and create vibrant, purposeful classrooms where pupils work hard and enjoy school.

Key Strengths

  • Strong phonics teaching with almost all pupils passing the Year 1 screening check
  • Good behaviour and attendance rates above the national average
  • Effective safeguarding systems with all staff aware of their responsibilities
  • Good provision for pupils with SEND who receive tailored support and make strong progress
  • Broad and varied curriculum that promotes personal development with a good range of extra-curricular activities, particularly in sport

Areas for Improvement

  • Some lower- and middle-ability pupils do not make enough progress in reading across key stage 2, with teachers not using assessment effectively to identify those falling behind
  • Pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length or for different purposes, limiting progress particularly in key stage 2
  • Quality of teaching in early years needs improvement - some children do not learn well enough during free-choice activity periods

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with all staff trained appropriately and fully aware of their responsibilities, and pupils reporting they feel safe in school.

Extracurricular Activities

Sporting activities, sports clubs, sporting competitions, lunch-time sports clubs, school trips, residential visits for older pupils

Holy Family Catholic Primary School is a good school where pupils enjoy attending and achieve above national average attainment in reading, writing and mathematics. The leadership team has maintained good quality education during a period of significant staffing changes.

At a Glance

9.7%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+4ppMaths+8ppWriting+2pp

Reading has improved from 83% to 87%. Maths has improved from 79% to 87%. Writing has remained stable at around 74%.

Class Sizes

28.0

Avg class size

28.0

Infant (KS1)

28.3

KS2

8

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Latest from Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery

From Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.

Social & online

Getting There

Bus Stops

The Roundabout (opp)
92m · 1 min walk
Cronton Park Avenue (adj)
158m · 3 min walk
Hall Lane (Se-bound)
159m · 3 min walk
Smithy Lane (adj)
283m · 5 min walk
Chapel Lane (adj)
284m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

90%

Near capacity

216 pupils

240 capacity

24 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Widnes

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,581
Projected new pupils:395

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Widnes

Admissions Demand - Knowsley

Low demand0.88x oversubscription

Places available

2,090

Applications

1,845

Got 1st preference

90.3%

Got preferred school

97.1%

Primary admissions across Knowsley (2025/26)

Inspection History(8)

19 March 2024
26 November 2020
13 November 2018
Leadership & ManagementGood

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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.

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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.

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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.

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School Funding

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.42623%

Overall absence

7.51445%

Persistent absence

173

Enrolments

Authorised3.22656%
Unauthorised1.19968%
Persistent (10%+)7.51445%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

3.06981%
18/19
8.57607%
20/21
6.47677%
21/22
5.12419%
22/23
4.35846%
23/24
4.42623%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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