St Martin's Catholic Primary School and Preschool, Runcorn

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades St Martin's Catholic Primary School and Preschool on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders ensure that inclusion runs through every part of school life."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Since the last inspection, leaders' focus on improving achievement has had a positive impact."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders' focus on attendance has had a positive impact."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have effective oversight of the curriculum and teaching."

Early years - Expected standard. "Since the last inspection, leaders have focused on the development of the provision for early years."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are ambitious and strive to give each pupil at St Martin's, ‘the life chances that they deserve regardless of their starting point and where they come from'."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders make sure that pupils at St Martin's take part in a wide range of opportunities that support their personal development."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should maintain their focus on improving attendance so that it is at least in line with national averages, particularly for pupils with the lowest attendance, so that these pupils do not miss out on essential learning"; "Leaders should further embed the curriculum through effective systems for teaching, assessment, intervention and monitoring so that all pupils achieve consistently well. This includes increasing the proportion of pupils who reach the higher standard in reading and ensuring that disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as their peers in reading, writing and mathematics"; "Leaders should develop the continuous provision in the pre-school and the Reception class so that it consistently enables children to develop a deep understanding across all seven areas of learning, including through purposeful use of the outdoor environment".

In its own words: "Having only been here for a very short time I can assure you that St Martin's is a friendly school family where everyone is valued. We are proud of our reputation of being a caring school and being able to support our pupils and families, be it with learning, with their faith journey or wellbeing."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, cricket, multi-sports, yoga, dance, choir, recorder, chess and Lego.

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care, from £5 per session.

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at St Martin's Catholic Primary School and Preschool reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Halton and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 73% in reading and 65% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 20 families put St Martin's Catholic Primary School and Preschool as their first choice and 32 named it as one of their preferences, for 21 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Martin's Catholic Primary School and Preschool are Gorsewood Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 85% reading, 74% maths); Murdishaw West Primary and Nursery School (0.2 miles, Good, 74% reading, 74% maths); St Berteline's CofE Primary School (0.7 miles); and Brookvale Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 69% reading, 71% maths).

St Martin's Catholic Primary School and Preschool's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

42.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

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

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Murdishaw Cen., 190 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Martin's Catholic Primary School and Preschool 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 77 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Halton (166).

In 2024/25, St Martin's Catholic Primary School and Preschool issued 3 suspensions, 1.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to St Martin's Catholic Primary School and Preschool are Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy (0.5 miles) and Sandymoor Ormiston Academy (1.4 miles).