Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery, Widnes
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Widnes. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 19 schools in Widnes with published results, and 2,629th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Knowsley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery in detail
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery in its own words
In its own words: "Holy Family is proud to be a Catholic School in which our Catholic faith guides the whole ethos of the school. Through the sharing of our faith and Gospel values we aim to provide a safe and nurturing environment alongside excellent, innovative teaching where children learn and grow in faith and love."
From the headteacher's welcome: "A very warm welcome to Holy Family Catholic Primary and Nursery School. We are a happy, friendly school where every member of our talented and highly motivated team of staff and governors works hard to enable and encourage all children to enjoy their learning, achieve their absolute best, and become confident, independent learners."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Knowsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 83% in reading and 79% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 27 families put Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery as their first choice and 47 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery are Cronton Church of England Primary Academy (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 87% reading, 65% maths); All Saints Upton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 75% reading, 75% maths); St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 89% reading, 83% maths); and St Basil's Catholic Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 83% reading, 72% maths).
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Cronton Church of England Primary AcademyAll Saints Upton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolSt Bartholomew's Catholic Primary SchoolSt Basil's Catholic Primary School
Who goes there
9.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Widnes Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Roundabout (opposite), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 37 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Knowsley (221).
Suspensions and exclusions
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery are Ormiston Chadwick Academy (1.3 miles), Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School (1.4 miles), Rainhill High School (1.4 miles) and Wade Deacon High School (1.5 miles).
Ormiston Chadwick AcademySaints Peter and Paul Catholic High SchoolRainhill High SchoolWade Deacon High School
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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from November 2018, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Holy Family creates a warm, caring community where children feel happy and valued. The school excels at teaching reading and has strengthened support for pupils with additional needs so they learn well. Pupils develop confidence and resilience through diverse opportunities including outdoor learning, performances, and residential trips.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on professional development and curriculum design informed by educational research
- Excellent early years provision that prepares children well for Year 1
- Effective phonics programme with quick identification and support for pupils who fall behind
- Pupils develop strong reading skills and enjoy reading through engaging activities
- School enhances personal development by encouraging pupils to embrace challenge through assemblies, outdoor learning and residential trips
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, assessment strategies do not align well with curriculum intent, meaning teachers cannot identify if pupils have learned and remembered all important content
- Some pupils occasionally have gaps in learning that go unchecked and need to be revisited
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Gardening, cheerleading, cross-stitch clubs, reading events, outdoor learning, residential trips, breakfast club, after-school club
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery continues to be a good school where pupils learn in a happy, close-knit community built on values of respect, responsibility and resilience. The school has a strong focus on staff development and an ambitious, well-defined curriculum informed by educational research.
At a Glance
9.7%
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 improved from 83% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 79% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
27.7
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
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
Keep up with Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery
Term dates
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Knowsley's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery is in Knowsley; for families living there:
Apply to Knowsley 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.
1 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 Knowsley is 14 (the median across 63 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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery
Will you get a place at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery.
- Knowsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Knowsley 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
95%
Near capacity
199 pupils
210 places
11 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Widnes
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Widnes
Across Knowsley council
Places available
2,085
Applications
1,953
Got 1st preference
86.6%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All primary applications across Knowsley council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
40
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
23.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
216
Total Pupils
120
Boys
96
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
19.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,982
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,165
Per pupil
£1123k
Total funding
£38k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
7.5%
Persistent absence
173
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
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery
Questions parents ask about Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery
What are SATs results like at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery?
Of the pupils at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery is oversubscribed, Knowsley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery?
Classes at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery average 26.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery has around 216 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery?
4.4% of sessions were missed at Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery in 2024/25. 7.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery?
Apply through Knowsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery 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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery?
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. 1 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 Knowsley is 14 (the median across 63 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery is at Hall Lane, Cronton, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 5DW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)