St Francis de Sales Catholic Junior School
| Type | Primary / Voluntary aided school |
| Age Range | 7-11 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Hale Road Liverpool Merseyside L4 3RL |
| Phone | 01515257602 |
| Reference Number | 104650 |
St Francis de Sales Catholic Junior School is a caring, inclusive school where pupils feel a strong sense of belonging and are well known by staff. Behaviour is consistently high, classrooms are calm and purposeful, and pupils feel safe and trust staff to deal with bullying. Attendance is improving because leaders analyse patterns and provide targeted support, though attendance for a minority of pupils remains too low. The curriculum is ambitious, broad and well sequenced, and teaching is generally strong, with effective reading, mathematics and vocabulary provision. Inclusion and personal development are particular strengths: pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are well supported, and pupils benefit from a wide programme that develops character, wellbeing and global citizenship. The main areas for further development concern achievement and some leadership oversight. Pupils' outcomes at the end of Year 6 have been close to or above national averages, and disadvantaged pupils do well compared with similar pupils nationally, but a gap remains between disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils nationally. Achievement in spelling and handwriting is a barrier for a small number of pupils, and teaching is not always precisely targeted for them. Leaders and governors are effective and place pupils at the centre of decisions, but they now need to ensure disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as their non-disadvantaged peers by identifying knowledge gaps more precisely and closing them quickly. The school serves a larger-than-average junior population with well-above-average levels of disadvantage and SEN support. Safeguarding standards are met. Overall, this is a strong school with high expectations and many strengths, and the next steps are about sharpening support so that all pupils, including those who need additional help, achieve consistently well.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 461 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 49.02%
Girls: 50.98% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 41.2% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 24.7% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 28.8 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 28.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 53 | 59 | 112 |
| 4 | 52 | 64 | 116 |
| 5 | 66 | 54 | 120 |
| 6 | 55 | 58 | 113 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 63.8% |
| African | 16.9% |
| White, Other | 5.6% |
| Indian | 1.7% |
| Asian, Other | 1.7% |
| Chinese | 1.1% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.7% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.7% |
| Pakistani | 0.7% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.4% |
| White & Asian | 0.2% |
| Irish | 0.2% |
| Caribbean | 0.2% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Expected standard |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Strong standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Strong standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Strong standard |
| > Inclusion | Strong standard |
| Last Report Date | 24 Feb 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 24 Feb 2026 | School inspection |
| 16 Nov 2021 | School inspection |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Interim assessment |
| 21 May 2007 | Full inspection |
| 23 Sep 2002 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Attendance is improving due to effective, targeted support, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
- Behaviour is consistently high, with calm, orderly and purposeful classrooms.
- Pupils feel safe and bullying is addressed quickly and effectively.
- The curriculum is ambitious, broad, balanced and well sequenced.
- Teaching is strong, with effective vocabulary, reading and mathematics provision.
- Staff know pupils' needs well and adapt teaching for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
- Inclusion is a key strength, with pupils feeling a strong sense of belonging and barriers removed expertly.
- The personal development programme develops pupils' character, wellbeing and global citizenship.
- Pupils benefit from wide opportunities including clubs, performances, trips and careers learning.
- Leaders and governors are purposeful, research-informed and place pupils at the centre.
- Staff wellbeing is considered and professional development is valued.
- Disadvantaged pupils achieve well compared with similar pupils nationally.
- Pupils with SEND make progress well from their various starting points.
- Pupils are well prepared for secondary school and life in modern Britain.
Areas for Improvement
- Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes do not match those of non-disadvantaged pupils nationally, leaving a disadvantage gap.
- Staff do not always identify gaps in disadvantaged pupils' knowledge precisely enough to close them quickly.
- Achievement in spelling and handwriting remains a barrier for a small number of pupils.
- Teaching is not always targeted precisely enough for pupils who find handwriting and spelling difficult.
- Attendance for a minority of pupils remains too low despite overall improvement.
- Leaders must ensure high standards are maintained and improvement continues so all pupils, including those needing additional help, achieve well.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 67% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 13% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 104 | ||
| Maths | 105 |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -0.1 | ||
| Writing | 2.7 | ||
| Maths | 0.2 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
UnlockUnlock Premium
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