Smithdown Primary School, Liverpool

Ofsted's report card from its 27 January 2026 inspection grades Smithdown Primary School on 7 areas: 5 strong standard and 2 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Attendance is a clear priority for leaders."

Early years - Strong standard. "Children settle quickly and are well cared for."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders are ambitious for all pupils."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders, including those responsible for governance, set high expectations for all pupils and are ambitious for their success in school and beyond."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders plan pupils' personal development carefully through a well‑sequenced curriculum and a wide range of enrichment experiences."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Many pupils build secure knowledge and strengthen their skills across the curriculum."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum that reflects the school's diverse community."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should continue their work to ensure that teaching across the wider curriculum builds on what pupils already know and can do so that their achievements further improve. • Leaders should strengthen the teaching of writing so that pupils develop secure knowledge and skills in writing, helping them to write more confidently and be better prepared for the next stage of their education".

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Smithdown Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 68% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 70% in Liverpool and 77% and 75% across England.

Results were similar in 2024 (65% in reading, 81% in maths).

For September 2026 entry, 78 families put Smithdown Primary School as their first choice and 157 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 24 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Smithdown Primary School are St Anne's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 86% reading, 82% maths); Kingsley Community School (0.4 miles, Good, 71% reading, 73% maths); St Hugh's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 30% reading, 22% maths); and Kensington Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 68% reading, 51% maths).

Smithdown Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

36 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Smithdown Primary School (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 92% 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 their child is happy at the school (92%).

51.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 87.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are other ethnic groups (56%), Asian (14%) and Black (12%).

In 2026, 158 pupils (32.6%) received SEN support and 24 (5%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Edge Hill Rail Station, about 430 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Widney Close (opposite), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Smithdown Primary 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 817 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, drug offences and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Liverpool (342), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Smithdown Primary School issued 11 suspensions, 2.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Smithdown Primary School are Archbishop Blanch CofE High School (0.3 miles), Marydale Lodge Sch (0.6 miles), Bellerive FCJ Catholic College (0.9 miles) and St Hilda's Church of England High School (0.9 miles).