Lyme Community Primary School, Newton-le-Willows
Lyme Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Newton-le-Willows. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 6 schools in Newton-le-Willows with published results, and 8,057th of 14,452 across England. It was 91% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to St. Helens (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Lyme Community Primary School in detail
Lyme Community Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, multi-sports, yoga, judo, choir, cooking, gardening, art and book club.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Lyme Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in St. Helens and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 52% in reading and 69% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Lyme Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 30 families put Lyme Community Primary School as their first choice and 59 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Lyme Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lyme Community Primary School are The District CofE Primary School (0.6 miles, 77% reading, 71% maths); St Mary's Catholic Junior Academy (0.7 miles, 81% reading, 81% maths); St James' Church of England Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 75% reading, 95% maths); and Grange Valley Primary School (0.8 miles, Outstanding, 75% reading, 82% maths).
Lyme Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
The District CofE Primary SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Junior AcademySt James' Church of England Primary SchoolGrange Valley Primary School
What parents say
24 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lyme Community Primary School (as of September 2025): 88% would recommend the school, 83% say their child is happy there and 17% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (17%).
Who goes there
33.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 51 pupils (23.4%) received SEN support and 9 (4.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Earlestown Rail Station, about 1190 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sefton Street (opposite), 140 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lyme Community Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Lyme Community Primary School are Outwood Academy Haydock (1.2 miles), Hope Academy (1.2 miles) and The Byrchall High School (1.8 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
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2019, 7 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 November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Lyme Community Primary School creates a happy, respectful environment where children thrive and behave well. The school has put strong systems in place to support all pupils, especially those with additional needs, ensuring they achieve well and feel valued. With a focus on developing confident, kind young people who understand respect and different cultures, the school prepares children to be thoughtful members of the community.
Key Strengths
- Strong behaviour and attitudes with kind, courteous pupils who show little disruption to learning
- Effective support for pupils with SEND who achieve well and are fully involved in school life
- Well-developed personal development programme helping pupils understand respect, different faiths and cultures
- Enthusiastic pupils who are keen to learn and listen attentively in lessons
- Rigorous attendance tracking with successful improvement in current attendance levels
Areas for Improvement
- Some activities given to pupils do not closely match the intended curriculum, preventing them from deepening subject knowledge
- A small number of early readers are not always given books matched to their phonics knowledge, slowing their progress
- Reading outcomes at end of Year 6 were below national average in 2024 due to recent curriculum changes
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Additional clubs, visitors speaking in assemblies, school councillors, reading buddies, safety squad, breakfast and after-school provision
Lyme Community Primary School is a happy, respectful place where the school's 'I can!' values help pupils feel confident and make good choices. The school provides a broad and ambitious curriculum with good outcomes across most subjects, though reading results were affected by recent curriculum changes.
At a Glance
33.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
24 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 52% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 66% to 90% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.2
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
25.8
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Lyme Community Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lyme Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lyme Community Primary School is in St. Helens; for families living there:
Apply to St. Helens 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
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
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, 3 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 St. Helens is 11.5 (the median across 80 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 Lyme Community Primary School
Will you get a place at Lyme Community Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lyme Community Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lyme Community Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lyme Community Primary School.
- St. Helens publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Lyme Community Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Lyme Community Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in St. Helens 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
91%
Near capacity
191 pupils
210 places
19 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Newton-le-Willows
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newton-le-Willows
Across St. Helens council
Places available
2,180
Applications
1,809
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across St. Helens council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
51
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
27.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
218
Total Pupils
102
Boys
116
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
21.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,600
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,034
Per pupil
£1308k
Total funding
£102k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.2%
Overall absence
14.3%
Persistent absence
168
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
Lyme Community Primary School
Questions parents ask about Lyme Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Lyme Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Lyme Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is Lyme Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Lyme Community Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Lyme Community Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Lyme Community Primary School is oversubscribed, St. Helens allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Lyme Community Primary School?
Lyme Community Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 91% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Lyme Community Primary School?
Classes at Lyme Community Primary School average 24.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Lyme Community Primary School?
Lyme Community Primary School has around 218 pupils on roll. 34% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lyme Community Primary School?
6.2% of sessions were missed at Lyme Community Primary School in 2024/25. 14.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lyme Community Primary School?
Apply through St. Helens's coordinated admissions process, naming Lyme Community 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.
How many road collisions happen near Lyme Community 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, 3 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 St. Helens is 11.5 (the median across 80 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lyme Community Primary School?
Lyme Community Primary School is at Lyme Street, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 9HD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)