Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School is performing well overall, with an overall effectiveness rating of good. The school has nurtured a welcoming and respectful environment where pupils feel safe and engaged in their learning. Most students, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, are achieving well, thanks to a well-organized curriculum and dedicated staff. The school emphasizes reading, providing various activities to foster a love for literature among the pupils. Notably, the school has made revisions to its curriculum post-COVID-19, which have positively influenced student achievement in subjects like mathematics. Despite these strengths, there are areas needing improvement, particularly in ensuring consistency in the implementation of the phonics program across all teaching staff. Some pupils are struggling with reading fluency as a result. Additionally, attendance has declined since the pandemic, affecting students' learning and development opportunities. To build on its successes, the school is encouraged to reinforce its attendance strategies and ensure that all staff adhere consistently to agreed teaching methods in early reading.

Strengths

• Nurturing and respectful environment for all pupils.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum.
• Strong focus on reading and engaging students in literature.
• Effective identification and support for pupils with SEND.
• Wide range of extracurricular clubs and personal development opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of the phonics program by some staff.
• Decline in attendance impacting students' learning.

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 Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School attended 91.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 28.3% 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, 2.9% of pupils at Our Lady Star of the Sea 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 Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.8% 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, 24.5% of pupils at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.2% 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 Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School received £9,921 and spent £9,987 for each of its 199 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £194,000 (£977 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 Sefton · Sefton local authority: places and applications

What is Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School have?

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School has 208 pupils on roll.

What age range does Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School cover?

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Our Lady Star of the Sea 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 Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School?

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School is at Seaforth, Kepler Street, Select, Merseyside, L21 3TE.