Lister Junior School, Liverpool

Ofsted's report card from its 24 February 2026 inspection grades Lister Junior School on 6 areas: 1 strong standard, 1 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The offer for pupils' personal development is very well crafted."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils attend well because they know how much staff value them."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' results in national tests in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 are broadly in line with national averages."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "There are inconsistent approaches across the school for supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders care deeply about pupils' wellbeing."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders act in the best interests of pupils."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that learning targets for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are precise enough to enable staff to make suitable adaptations to teaching and provide support that meets pupils' needs"; "Leaders should develop effective systems for assessment across the school so that teachers consistently use their checks on learning well to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge, leading to improved achievement in all subjects"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils consistently receive high-quality teaching to develop their foundational knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics, including pupils who are disadvantaged and those with SEND"; "Leaders and governors should ensure that their quality-assurance work appropriately identifies and targets the aspects of the school that need to improve and will have the greatest impact on pupils' achievement".

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils at Lister Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 70% in Liverpool and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 88% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

Across Liverpool, 89% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 97% were offered one of the schools they named.

In 2026, families in Liverpool lodged 219 appeals against primary school offers; 83 reached a hearing and 5 succeeded (6% of those heard).

The nearest other state primary schools to Lister Junior School are Lister Infant and Nursery School (under 0.1 miles, Good); St Cecilia's Catholic Primary School (under 0.1 miles, 76% reading, 76% maths); Lister Primary School (under 0.1 miles); and Roscoe Primary School (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 57% reading, 75% maths).

Lister Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.

12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lister Junior School (as of April 2026): 83% would recommend the school, 83% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (75%).

46.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 28.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (60%), Black (11%) and Asian (7%).

The nearest railway station is Wavertree Technology Park Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rockbank Road (adjacent), 100 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lister Junior School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 543 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and drug offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Liverpool (342), as is usual near a town centre.

Lister Junior School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.