Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School, WARRINGTON
Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Warrington. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 41st-highest of the 69 schools in WARRINGTON with published results, and 5,545th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 108% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- 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 Wigan (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Wigan and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 70% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School as their first choice and 73 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School are Lowton Junior and Infant School (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, 63% reading, 69% maths); Gilded Hollins Community School (0.5 miles, Good, 100% reading, 97% maths); St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Lowton (0.8 miles, Good, 83% reading, 87% maths); and St Luke's CofE Primary School (1 mile, Good, 93% reading, 93% maths).
Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Lowton Junior and Infant SchoolGilded Hollins Community SchoolSt Catherine's Catholic Primary School, LowtonSt Luke's CofE Primary School
What parents say
27 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School (as of September 2025): 78% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 64% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (85%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (64%).
Who goes there
13.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Newton-le-Willows Rail Station, about 3 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sandy Lane (near), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 3.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School are Lowton Church of England High School (0.2 miles) and Golborne High School (1.5 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a safe, happy environment where children love learning. Teachers deliver strong phonics and reading instruction, and pupils achieve well in most subjects. The school also helps children develop into confident, caring individuals who understand British values and how to stay safe.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching with consistently high Year 1 phonics screening results
- Well-designed curriculum in many subjects with clear learning expectations
- Effective support for pupils with SEND to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers
- Positive pupil behavior and attitudes to learning
- Good personal development including citizenship activities and pupil leadership roles
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects lack clearly identified crucial knowledge, creating gaps in pupil understanding
- Learning activities are not always well matched to individual pupil needs
- Governors lack sufficient strategic insight into school improvement work to challenge and support effectively
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with robust procedures to identify and support pupils.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, inter-school sports competitions, buddies scheme, champions of change recycling project, charity fundraising activities
Lowton St Mary's CofE Primary School is a good school where pupils enjoy learning, behave well, and achieve in line with or above national averages. The school has revised its curriculum and fosters positive relationships, though some work remains to refine curriculum knowledge in certain subjects.
At a Glance
13.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
27 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 70% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 70% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.1
Avg class size
28.5
Infant (KS1)
28.8
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School.
- Kumon Lowton Study CentreAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School is in Wigan; for families living there:
Apply to Wigan for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 4 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 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 Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School
Will you get a place at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wigan, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Wigan 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
108%
Over capacity
211 pupils
196 places
15 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - WARRINGTON
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for WARRINGTON
Across Wigan council
Places available
3,894
Applications
3,541
Got 1st preference
88.7%
Got preferred school
97.3%
All primary applications across Wigan council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
36
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
20.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
229
Total Pupils
115
Boys
114
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
17.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,642
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,160
Per pupil
£1207k
Total funding
£41k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
14.4%
Persistent absence
187
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
Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School
Questions parents ask about Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School
What are SATs results like at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School?
Of the pupils at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School is oversubscribed, Wigan allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School?
Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School was full in 2025, at 108% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School?
Classes at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School average 27.1 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School?
Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School has around 229 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School?
5.2% of sessions were missed at Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School in 2024/25. 14.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School?
Apply through Wigan's coordinated admissions process, naming Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School 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.
Does Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kumon Lowton Study Centre (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 4 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School?
Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School is at Newton Road, Lowton, WARRINGTON, Cheshire, WA3 1EW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)