Farnborough Road Junior School

Farnborough Road Junior School continues to perform well, maintaining its good standing since the previous inspection in April 2014. The school is a welcoming environment where pupils display high standards of behavior and are actively engaged in their learning. Parents and students commend the school's support, particularly for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and the school has high expectations for academic success. Through a well-organized curriculum and effective teaching strategies, pupils are achieving well across subjects and developing confidence and resilience through various extracurricular activities. Despite its positive achievements, there are some areas for improvement, particularly concerning pupils' understanding of different faiths and cultures. A few misconceptions have gone unchecked, indicating that while the school has made strides in broadening pupils' knowledge, there is a need for more robust checks to ensure all students attain a clear and accurate understanding of global diversity. The school actively seeks to improve in this regard and demonstrates a sound awareness of its areas for development.

Strengths

• Welcoming and happy school environment
• High standards of pupil behavior
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Ambitious and well-designed curriculum
• Teachers make effective use of reading strategies
• Pupils engage in a wide range of extracurricular activities
• Strong involvement of pupils in school responsibilities

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have misconceptions about different religions and cultures

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 Farnborough Road Junior School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.3% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Farnborough Road 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 Farnborough Road Junior School had 23.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.8% 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, 16.0% of pupils at Farnborough Road Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.1% 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 Farnborough Road Junior School received £6,525 and spent £6,398 for each of its 468 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £228,000 (£486 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 Southport · Sefton local authority: places and applications

What is Farnborough Road Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Farnborough Road Junior School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Farnborough Road Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Farnborough Road Junior School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Farnborough Road Junior School have?

Farnborough Road Junior School has 468 pupils on roll.

What age range does Farnborough Road Junior School cover?

Farnborough Road Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Farnborough Road Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Farnborough Road Junior School?

Farnborough Road Junior School is at Farnborough Road, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 3DF.