St. Mary's Blackbrook Catholic Primary School, St Helens

Good
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~641m)Possible (~916m)Unlikely (~1.2km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Kevin Robinson
Pupils:381 / 460 capacity
LA:St. Helens
Phone:01744678161
Address:Chain Lane, Blackbrook, St Helens, WA11 9QY
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:104802
UKPRN:10074998
Diocese:Archdiocese of Liverpool
Constituency:St Helens North
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

The school excels at supporting all aspects of children's development, combining strong academics with excellent care for pupils and their families. Teachers create an environment where pupils are motivated to work well, and the school actively promotes understanding of different faiths and cultures through visits and lessons. Parents can be confident their children are in safe hands with a school that listens to their concerns and provides extra support where needed.

Key Strengths

  • Strong safeguarding culture with thorough procedures and high-quality record-keeping
  • Good progress made by pupils from their starting points, particularly in early years and key stage 1
  • Excellent provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
  • Effective feedback to pupils that explains next steps in their learning
  • Strong staff training and professional development through masterclasses and observation of best practice

Areas for Improvement

  • Reading and mathematics achievement in Year 6 below national averages in 2017
  • Gap between disadvantaged children in early years and non-disadvantaged children nationally needs to reduce faster
  • School improvement plans for subjects other than English and mathematics need more precise success criteria

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective with detailed records, thorough reporting processes, and a strong culture where staff receive regular training and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Judo, archery, gymnastics, music clubs, science clubs, educational visits to places of worship including synagogues

St Mary's Catholic Primary Blackbrook continues to be a good school with maintained quality education since 2013. The leadership team has effectively addressed previous areas for improvement and created a bright, inviting learning environment.

At a Glance

29.9%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+15ppMaths+14ppWriting+24pp

Reading has improved from 59% to 74%. Maths has improved from 48% to 62%. Writing has improved from 50% to 74%.

Class Sizes

26.7

Avg class size

23.7

Infant (KS1)

27.6

KS2

15

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Social & online

Getting There

Bus Stops

Rufford Walk (opp)
150m · 2 min walk
Paisley Avenue (adj)
189m · 3 min walk
O' Sullivan Crescent (nr)
215m · 3 min walk
Billinge Crescent (adj)
223m · 4 min walk
Ashurst Drive (W-bound)
238m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

83%

Available places

381 pupils

460 capacity

79 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - St Helens

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,362
Projected new pupils:341

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for St Helens

Admissions Demand - St. Helens

Low demand0.79x oversubscription

Places available

2,195

Applications

1,726

Got 1st preference

93.9%

Got preferred school

99.2%

Primary admissions across St. Helens (2025/26)

Inspection History(107)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

7.24439%

Overall absence

17.94118%

Persistent absence

340

Enrolments

Authorised4.84871%
Unauthorised2.39568%
Persistent (10%+)17.94118%
Severe (50%+)2.05882%

Absence trend

4.23482%
18/19
4.45162%
20/21
8.26134%
21/22
7.64009%
22/23
7.89538%
23/24
7.24439%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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