Willow Tree Primary School, St Helens
Willow Tree Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in St Helens, part of The Three Saints Academy Trust. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 13th-highest of the 36 schools in St Helens with published results, and 6,288th of 14,452 across England. It was 55% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to St. Helens (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Willow Tree Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 85% of Year 6 pupils at Willow Tree Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in St. Helens and 77% and 75% across England.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Willow Tree Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Willow Tree Primary School as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 11 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Willow Tree Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Willow Tree Primary School are St Theresa's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 76% reading, 90% maths); Sherdley Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 70% reading, 75% maths); Eaves Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 86% reading, 86% maths); and St Anne's Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 54% reading, 50% maths).
Willow Tree Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
St Theresa's Catholic Primary SchoolSherdley Primary SchoolEaves Primary SchoolSt Anne's Catholic Primary School
The trust
Willow Tree Primary School is one of 5 schools run by The Three Saints Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
54.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 54 pupils (31.4%) received SEN support and 6 (3.5%) 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 Lea Green Rail Station, about 910 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Leach Lane (adjacent), 50 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Willow Tree Primary School issued 24 suspensions, 13 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Willow Tree Primary School are The Sutton Academy (0.8 miles) and St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy (1.7 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Willow Tree Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in September 2024. Before that, as Willow Tree Primary School (URN 104772), it was rated Good in December 2011.
At a Glance
54.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2024/25 academic year
Class Sizes
21.3
Avg class size
20.3
Infant (KS1)
25.8
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Willow Tree Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Willow Tree Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Willow Tree Primary School is in St. Helens; for families living there:
Apply to St. Helens for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 11 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 St. Helens is 11.5 (the median across 80 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 Willow Tree Primary School
Will you get a place at Willow Tree Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Willow Tree Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Willow Tree Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Willow Tree Primary School.
- St. Helens publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Willow Tree Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Willow Tree Primary School for 2025 and 2026 entry.
- How many families in St. Helens 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
55%
Available places
172 pupils
315 places
143 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - St Helens
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St Helens
Across St. Helens council
Places available
2,180
Applications
1,809
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across St. Helens council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
54
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
34.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
172
Total Pupils
91
Boys
81
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
17.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£38,503
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,289
Per pupil
£1317k
Total funding
£105k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.3%
Overall absence
27.2%
Persistent absence
162
Enrolments
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Willow Tree Primary School
Questions parents ask about Willow Tree Primary School
What are SATs results like at Willow Tree Primary School?
Of the pupils at Willow Tree Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 85% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is Willow Tree Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Willow Tree Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in September 2024. Before that, as Willow Tree Primary School (URN 104772), it was rated Good in December 2011.
What is the catchment area for Willow Tree Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Willow Tree Primary School is oversubscribed, St. Helens allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Willow Tree Primary School?
Willow Tree Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 55% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Willow Tree Primary School?
Classes at Willow Tree Primary School average 21.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Willow Tree Primary School?
Willow Tree Primary School has around 172 pupils on roll. 55% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Willow Tree Primary School?
8.3% of sessions were missed at Willow Tree Primary School in 2024/25. 27.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Willow Tree Primary School?
Apply through St. Helens's coordinated admissions process, naming Willow Tree 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.
How many road collisions happen near Willow Tree Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 11 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 St. Helens is 11.5 (the median across 80 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Willow Tree Primary School?
Willow Tree Primary School is at Willow Tree Avenue, Leach Lane, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 4LZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)