Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School demonstrates effective leadership and a commitment to improving educational outcomes, particularly in the early years. The school fosters a supportive environment where safeguarding concerns are taken seriously, helping children feel safe and valued. However, despite these strengths, the school has faced challenges in raising academic standards, with many pupils, including disadvantaged ones, not meeting the expected levels in reading, writing, and mathematics. Recent leadership changes have initiated improvements, but these efforts have yet to translate into significant academic gains.

Strengths

• Strong commitment to safeguarding, creating a safe and open environment.
• Effective partnership work with families to improve attendance.
• Well-structured early years curriculum that prepares children for future learning.
• Inclusive practices that support pupils with additional needs.
• Opportunities for personal development and broader experiences.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' academic outcomes are significantly below national averages.
• Gaps in knowledge, particularly in reading, writing, and mathematics, are not being closed quickly enough.
• Inconsistencies in teaching effectiveness, especially for pupils with SEND.
• Governance has provided insufficient challenge and support for improvement.

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 Holy Cross Catholic Primary School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.8% 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, 2.9% of pupils at Holy Cross Catholic 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 Holy Cross Catholic Primary School had 24.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 48.7% 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, 16.2% of pupils at Holy Cross Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.1% 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 Holy Cross Catholic Primary School received £7,856 and spent £8,039 for each of its 193 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £15,000 (£80 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 St Helens · St. Helens local authority: places and applications

What is Holy Cross Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Holy Cross Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Holy Cross Catholic Primary School have?

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School has 197 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holy Cross Catholic Primary School cover?

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Holy Cross Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 44% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Holy Cross Catholic Primary School?

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is at Charles Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 1LN.