St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community, Prescot
St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Prescot. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 12 schools in Prescot with published results, and 4,333rd of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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 Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community in detail
St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community in its own words
In its own words: "We will provide a safe, warm and welcoming environment where everybody is valued We will develop the whole child through our pastoral approach where inclusive attitudes are modelled every day We will celebrate the skills, talents and natural abilities of everybody in our school community"
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care until 5:15pm.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Knowsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 76% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community
For September 2026 entry, 35 families put St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community as their first choice and 45 named it as one of their preferences, for 35 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community are Halsnead Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 84% reading, 70% maths); Whiston Willis Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 70% reading, 74% maths); St Luke's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths); and St Mary and St Paul's CofE Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths).
St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Halsnead Primary SchoolWhiston Willis Primary AcademySt Luke's Catholic Primary SchoolSt Mary and St Paul's CofE Primary School
Who goes there
39.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 8.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 50 pupils (21.8%) received SEN support and 4 (1.7%) 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 Whiston Rail Station, about 440 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cumber Lane (adjacent), 180 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community issued 4 suspensions, 1.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community are Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy (0.6 miles) and Rainhill High School (1.6 miles).
Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic AcademyRainhill 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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from January 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
39.3%
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 76% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 60% to 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.1
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
8
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community
Term dates
St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
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 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 Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community
Will you get a place at St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community.
- Knowsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community 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
94%
Near capacity
198 pupils
210 places
12 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Prescot
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Prescot
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
50
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
23.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
229
Total Pupils
121
Boys
108
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
20.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,207
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,999
Per pupil
£1352k
Total funding
£121k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
16.9%
Persistent absence
172
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 Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community
Questions parents ask about St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community
What are SATs results like at St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community?
Of the pupils at St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community's Ofsted rating?
St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community?
No fixed boundary. When St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community 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 Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community?
St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community?
Classes at St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community average 27.1 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community?
St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community has around 229 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community?
5.6% of sessions were missed at St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community in 2024/25. 16.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community?
Apply through Knowsley's coordinated admissions process, naming St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community 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 Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 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 Knowsley is 14 (the median across 63 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community?
St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community is at Lickers Lane, Whiston, Prescot, Merseyside, L35 3SR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)