St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School

St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Junior School continues to perform well, maintaining its good rating from previous inspections. The school fosters a nurturing and safe environment where pupils feel valued and are actively engaged in their learning. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, particularly with a strong emphasis on reading and support for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are involved in leadership roles, enhancing their confidence and community spirit, while the commitment to both academic and personal development is evident through various enrichment programs.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and feel safe in a caring community.
• The school has a well-designed and ambitious curriculum.
• Strong emphasis on reading across all subjects.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Pupils engage actively in their learning and contribute positively to the school community.
• High expectations from staff lead to good academic achievements.
• Innovative personal development programs focused on safety and well-being.

Areas for Improvement

• A small number of pupils struggle with reading and lack sufficient practice with decodable books.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.6% of pupils at St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School had 20.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 20.8% of pupils at St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School received £7,560 and spent £7,547 for each of its 457 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £8,000 (£17 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Liverpool · Knowsley local authority: places and applications

What is St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School have?

St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School has 457 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School cover?

St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School?

St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School is at St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School, Pilch Lane, Huyton, Liverpool, Merseyside, L14 0JG.