St Philip's Church of England Controlled Primary School, Liverpool

Ofsted's report card from its 16 June 2026 inspection grades St Philip's Church of England Controlled Primary School on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders are taking effective action to reduce pupils' absence rates."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have taken positive action to ensure that subject curriculums, including for English and mathematics, are designed to help pupils build knowledge logically over time."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have ensured that children in the early years benefit from an effective curriculum."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders are clear in their vision for pupils to be included and valued as individuals."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "The restructured leadership team has lost no time in identifying and prioritising the most important aspects of school improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise opportunities for pupils to broaden their experiences beyond the academic curriculum."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Published data reflects that, by the end of Year 6, many pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are not as well prepared for the next stage of education as they should be."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to focus on ensuring that gaps in pupils' English and mathematics knowledge are swiftly addressed so that pupils are supported to achieve all that they can and are ready for their next stage of learning"; "Leaders should ensure that they support staff, including those in the early years, to further develop their use of checks on pupils' learning within and beyond lessons, so that teaching builds more securely on pupils' understanding and skills across the curriculum"; "Leaders should continue to take action to further reduce levels of absence for pupils, particularly for those pupils who are persistently absent".

In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils at St Philip's Church of England Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Sefton and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 69% in reading and 66% in maths in 2024.

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

For September 2026 entry, 13 families put St Philip's Church of England Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 61 named it as one of their preferences, for 18 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 Philip's Church of England Controlled Primary School are English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School (0.1 miles, Good, 73% reading, 82% maths); St Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 97% reading, 97% maths); St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 83% reading, 88% maths); and Springwell Park Community Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 50% reading, 41% maths).

St Philip's Church of England Controlled Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

6.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Seaforth & Litherland Rail Station, about 990 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church Road (adjacent), 110 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 348 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Sefton (165), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St Philip's Church of England Controlled Primary School issued 11 suspensions, 5.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to St Philip's Church of England Controlled Primary School are King's Leadership Academy Hawthornes (0.7 miles), Litherland High School (0.7 miles) and The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco (0.7 miles).