St Austin's Catholic Primary School, St Helens
St Austin's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in St Helens. It has a Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 30th-highest of the 36 schools in St Helens with published results, and 12,633rd of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to St. Helens (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Austin's Catholic Primary School in detail
St Austin's Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "As a Catholic school our ethos is to uphold the values of the Gospel including: respect for each individual; trust in God; honesty; compassion; forgiveness; mercy; sense of community; democracy; tolerance and inclusiveness. These values are embedded in all that we teach and are promoted in all of our interactions with others in the school and the wider community."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care, from £5.50 per session.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at St Austin's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 54% 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 40% in reading and 37% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Austin's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put St Austin's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 63 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Austin's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Austin's Catholic Primary School are Nutgrove Methodist Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding, 82% reading, 79% maths); Thatto Heath Community Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 74% reading, 72% maths); St John Vianney Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 100% maths); and Longton Lane Community Primary School (1 mile, Good, 82% reading, 68% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Austin's Catholic Primary School.
Nutgrove Methodist Primary SchoolThatto Heath Community Primary SchoolSt John Vianney Catholic Primary SchoolLongton Lane Community Primary School
Staffing
St Austin's Catholic Primary School had 13 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Thatto Heath Rail Station, about 200 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Scholes Lane (adjacent), 100 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Austin's Catholic Primary School issued 10 suspensions, 4.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Austin's Catholic Primary School are The Sutton Academy (1.3 miles), De La Salle School (1.5 miles) and Rainhill High School (1.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
31.9%
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 40% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 37% to 54% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 57% to 65% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.0
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Austin's Catholic Primary School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Austin's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Austin's Catholic 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
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 St Austin's Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Austin's Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Austin's Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Austin's Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Austin's Catholic Primary School.
- St. Helens publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Austin's Catholic Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Austin's Catholic 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.
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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 - St Helens
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St Helens
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(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
36
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
21.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
216
Total Pupils
111
Boys
105
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
16.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,048
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,745
Per pupil
£1300k
Total funding
£85k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
13.9%
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
St Austin's Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Austin's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Austin's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Austin's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 54% did so in maths.
What is St Austin's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Austin's Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2022, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Austin's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Austin's Catholic 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 St Austin's Catholic Primary School?
St Austin's Catholic Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Austin's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Austin's Catholic Primary School average 24 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Austin's Catholic Primary School?
St Austin's Catholic Primary School has around 216 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Austin's Catholic Primary School?
5.2% of sessions were missed at St Austin's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 13.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Austin's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through St. Helens's coordinated admissions process, naming St Austin's Catholic 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 St Austin's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 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 St Austin's Catholic Primary School?
St Austin's Catholic Primary School is at Heath Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 5NJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)