St Laurence's Catholic Primary School, Liverpool
St Laurence'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 May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. 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 84% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Knowsley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Laurence's Catholic Primary School in detail
St Laurence's Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "The Our School section is here to help you get to know who we are, what we believe in and how our school is led. It shows our Catholic ethos and values, as well as our aspirations, that shape everyday life in our school, giving you a clear picture of the care, commitment and ambition that drive all we do."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Knowsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (71% in reading, 71% in maths).
Getting a place at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 55 families put St Laurence's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 111 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Laurence's Catholic Primary School are Park Brow Community Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 69% reading, 65% maths); St Joseph the Worker Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 83% reading, 67% maths); Northwood Community Primary School (With Designated Special Provision) (0.5 miles, Good, 62% reading, 63% maths); and Kirkby CofE Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 69% reading, 74% maths).
St Laurence's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Park Brow Community Primary SchoolSt Joseph the Worker Catholic Primary SchoolNorthwood Community Primary School (With Designated Special Provision)Kirkby CofE Primary School
What parents say
42 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Laurence's Catholic Primary School (as of September 2025): 88% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
34.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 62 pupils (15.9%) received SEN support and 7 (1.8%) 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 Headbolt Lane, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Leeside Avenue (adjacent), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Laurence'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
St Laurence's Catholic Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Laurence's Catholic Primary School are Kirkby High School (0.5 miles) and All Saints Catholic High School (0.6 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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Laurence's is a warm, supportive school where children are encouraged to try their best and learn from mistakes. The school has placed reading at the heart of its curriculum, and most pupils become confident, fluent readers. Children are happy, behave well, and develop strong self-belief to aim high for their futures.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading and vocabulary development with a successful new phonics programme
- Ambitious and well-organized curriculum from Nursery through Key Stage 2
- Effective identification and support for pupils with additional needs
- High attendance rates achieved through tenacious school approach
- Pupils develop strong self-belief and are well-prepared for secondary school
Areas for Improvement
- In a few subjects, teachers do not help pupils recall and build on learning from previous years, which can weaken their foundations for new learning
- Governing body needs to strengthen its oversight and strategic thinking in some areas to hold the school more effectively to account
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school maintaining an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Before- and after-school club
St Laurence's Catholic Primary School has successfully maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. Pupils benefit from warm, supportive relationships with staff and achieve well across a broad range of subjects.
At a Glance
34.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
42 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 declined from 71% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 71% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 63% to 69% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.5
Avg class size
25.5
Infant (KS1)
25.5
KS2
15
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with St Laurence's Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Laurence's Catholic Primary School.
- Bluebell Park School Choices890m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Laurence'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 Knowsley's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Laurence's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Laurence's Catholic Primary School is in Knowsley; for families living there:
Apply to Knowsley for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 Knowsley is 14 (the median across 63 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 Laurence's Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Laurence's Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Laurence's Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Laurence's Catholic Primary School.
- Knowsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Laurence's Catholic Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Knowsley 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
84%
Available places
345 pupils
410 places
65 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 Knowsley council
Places available
2,085
Applications
1,953
Got 1st preference
86.6%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All primary applications across Knowsley council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
62
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
17.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
390
Total Pupils
180
Boys
210
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
19.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,656
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,865
Per pupil
£2326k
Total funding
£208k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
15.5%
Persistent absence
310
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 Laurence's Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Laurence's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 63% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is St Laurence's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Laurence's Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Laurence's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Laurence's Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Knowsley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School?
St Laurence's Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 410 places.
How big are the classes at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School average 25.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Laurence's Catholic Primary School?
St Laurence's Catholic Primary School has around 390 pupils on roll. 35% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at St Laurence's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 15.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Laurence's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Knowsley's coordinated admissions process, naming St Laurence'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 Laurence's Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Laurence's Catholic Primary School: Bluebell Park School Choices (890m away, 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 St Laurence's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 Knowsley is 14 (the median across 63 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Laurence's Catholic Primary School?
St Laurence's Catholic Primary School is at Leeside Avenue, Southdene, Liverpool, Merseyside, L32 9QX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)