St Finbar's Catholic Primary School, Liverpool
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Liverpool. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2021. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 106th-highest of the 177 schools in Liverpool with published results, and 9,982nd of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2021)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Liverpool (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School in detail
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, drama, guitar, coding, art, cadets and maths club.
The school runs a breakfast club.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at St Finbar's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 70% in Liverpool and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 80% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Finbar's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 8 families put St Finbar's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 23 named it as one of their preferences, for 11 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 St Finbar's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Finbar's Catholic Primary School are Matthew Arnold Primary School (0.1 miles, Good, 72% reading, 69% maths); St Cleopas' Church of England Primary Academy (0.3 miles, 78% reading, 78% maths); St Silas Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 74% reading, 64% maths); and Holy Family Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 83% reading, 69% maths).
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Matthew Arnold Primary SchoolSt Cleopas' Church of England Primary AcademySt Silas Church of England Primary SchoolHoly Family Catholic Primary School
Who goes there
60.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 47.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (44%), other ethnic groups (19%) and Black (16%).
In 2026, 33 pupils (20.8%) received SEN support and 4 (2.5%) 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.
Staffing
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Michaels Rail Station, about 780 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is South Hill Street (adjacent), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Finbar's Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Finbar's Catholic Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 3.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Finbar's Catholic Primary School are King's Leadership Academy, Liverpool (0.2 miles); The Belvedere Academy (0.3 miles); Bellerive FCJ Catholic College (0.7 miles); and St Hilda's Church of England High School (1.1 miles).
King's Leadership Academy, LiverpoolThe Belvedere AcademyBellerive FCJ Catholic CollegeSt Hilda's Church of England High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 5 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2021 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Finbar's creates a welcoming, inclusive environment where children feel safe and make friends easily. Teachers have high expectations and deliver lessons well in key subjects like science and early reading, helping pupils achieve good results. The school goes beyond academics, supporting pupils' emotional wellbeing and teaching them about respect, tolerance and equality.
Key Strengths
- Pupils behave well and enjoy learning in calm, orderly classrooms
- Strong teaching of early reading and phonics with well-trained staff
- Well-structured curriculum in science and other subjects that helps pupils build knowledge
- Staff know pupils and families well and provide good emotional support
- Pupils develop strong understanding of equality, diversity, democracy and respect
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum in some subjects is not well organised, making it hard for pupils to connect new learning with previous years
- Governors do not have enough information about how well pupils are learning across the curriculum, so cannot hold leaders properly to account
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with robust procedures in place, all staff receiving appropriate training, and pupils learning how to keep themselves safe online and with strangers.
Extracurricular Activities
After-school clubs including singing, drawing and Lego club, school council, playground buddy roles, educational trips to zoo and science trips
St Finbar's is a happy and welcoming primary school where pupils enjoy attending and feel safe. The school is rated Good overall with effective safeguarding procedures and strong teaching in most subjects.
At a Glance
60.4%
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 declined from 80% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 77% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 60% to 65% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
19.9
Avg class size
17.7
Infant (KS1)
21.7
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Finbar's Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Liverpool
Term dates
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Liverpool's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Finbar's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Finbar's Catholic Primary School is in Liverpool; for families living there:
- Liverpool's school travel policy: this document : Home to School Transport Policy 2026-27
- How to apply: Apply for a travel pass
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 42
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 11
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 42 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 8 serious and 33 slight.
11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
15 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 Liverpool is 32 (the median across 193 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 Finbar's Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Finbar's Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Finbar's Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Finbar's Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Finbar's Catholic Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Liverpool, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Finbar's Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Liverpool 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
86%
Available places
150 pupils
175 places
25 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Liverpool
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Liverpool
Across Liverpool council
Places available
5,870
Applications
4,736
Got 1st preference
88.6%
Got preferred school
97.3%
All primary applications across Liverpool council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(13)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
23.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
159
Total Pupils
82
Boys
77
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
14.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,108
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,922
Per pupil
£1249k
Total funding
£148k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.8%
Overall absence
20.3%
Persistent absence
148
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
Questions parents ask about St Finbar's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Finbar's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Finbar's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 69% did so in maths.
What is St Finbar's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2021.
What is the catchment area for St Finbar's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Finbar's Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Liverpool allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Finbar's Catholic Primary School?
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 175 places.
How big are the classes at St Finbar's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Finbar's Catholic Primary School average 19.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Finbar's Catholic Primary School?
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School has around 159 pupils on roll. 60% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Finbar's Catholic Primary School?
6.8% of sessions were missed at St Finbar's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 20.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Finbar's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Liverpool's coordinated admissions process, naming St Finbar'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.
Does St Finbar's Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near St Finbar's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 42 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 8 serious and 33 slight. 11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 15 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 Liverpool is 32 (the median across 193 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Finbar's Catholic Primary School?
St Finbar's Catholic Primary School is at South Hill Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, L8 9RY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)