St Peter's CofE Primary School

St Peter’s CofE Primary School is a highly effective church primary school in Newton-le-Willows. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since December 2013. Under the current framework, no overall effectiveness grade is awarded, but the school was judged outstanding in every key judgement: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• An exceptionally ambitious curriculum builds deep, connected knowledge across subjects.
• Pupils with SEND are precisely identified and supported to access the same exceptional curriculum as their peers.
• Reading is a central strength, with expert phonics teaching and excellent support for pupils who need to catch up.
• Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary, including when adults are not present.
• Personal development is impressive, with rich opportunities for debate, diversity, clubs and the St Peter’s Award Scheme.
• Governance is strong, with knowledgeable governors who challenge and support leaders effectively.
• Staff receive highly effective professional development and leaders carefully consider their workload and well-being.
• Early years provision is outstanding, with children quickly mastering number and phonics.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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 Peter's CofE Primary School attended 97.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St Peter's CofE Primary 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 Peter's CofE Primary School had 27.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% 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, 21.7% of pupils at St Peter's CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 Peter's CofE Primary School received £6,185 and spent £6,141 for each of its 226 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £171,000 (£755 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 Newton-Le-Willows · St. Helens local authority: places and applications

What is St Peter's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Peter's CofE Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was St Peter's CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Peter's CofE Primary School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does St Peter's CofE Primary School have?

St Peter's CofE Primary School has 226 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Peter's CofE Primary School cover?

St Peter's CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Peter's CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Peter's CofE Primary School?

St Peter's CofE Primary School is at Birley Street, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 9UR.