St Gregory's Catholic Primary School

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School is performing very strongly across all areas. Inspectors found that pupils achieve well over time in reading, writing and mathematics, with results above national averages, and that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils are well supported and achieve well. Attendance is good, behaviour is very positive, and safeguarding standards are met. The curriculum is ambitious, broad and well sequenced from the early years to Year 6, and teaching is consistently strong. Early years provision is highly effective, reading and phonics are prioritised, and children get an excellent start. Inclusion is a particular strength, with well-established systems to identify needs and targeted support that helps all pupils access the curriculum. Leadership and governance are strong, staff morale is high, and parents are overwhelmingly positive. The school has had significant leadership change, with a new headteacher and deputy headteacher starting in September 2024. It is a smaller-than-average Catholic primary school with low levels of disadvantage. Inspectors identified no areas of concern; the next step is for leaders and governors to sustain the effectiveness of their work and continue driving improvement for all pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well over time in reading, writing and mathematics, with results above national averages.
• Phonics is taught effectively, and pupils read fluently and confidently.
• Pupils' work is of consistently high quality, with strong handwriting, spelling and punctuation.
• The curriculum is ambitious, broad, coherently sequenced and enriched through visitors and visits.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and check pupils' learning skilfully.
• Staff adapt teaching expertly for pupils with SEND and other barriers to learning.
• Early years leadership is highly effective, and children make an excellent start to learning.
• Children's language development is mapped carefully, and reading is prioritised in the early years.
• Inclusion is a strong feature, and disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are well supported.
• Attendance is good, and leaders work closely with families to remove barriers.
• Pupils behave very well, are polite, kind and cooperative, and bullying is rare.
• Pupils access a wide range of clubs, enrichment opportunities and community initiatives.
• Leaders and governors have high expectations and provide effective support and challenge.
• Staff morale is high, and staff benefit from high-quality professional development.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the support the school provides.
• Pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education and for life as responsible citizens.

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 Gregory's Catholic Primary School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.1% 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 St Gregory's Catholic Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Gregory's Catholic Primary School had 23.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 13.2% of pupils at St Gregory's Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% 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 Gregory's Catholic Primary School received £6,487 and spent £6,653 for each of its 231 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £166,000 (£721 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 Liverpool · Sefton local authority: places and applications

What is St Gregory's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Gregory's Catholic Primary School is Strong standard, from an inspection in February 2026.

When was St Gregory's Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School was last inspected in February 2026.

How many pupils does St Gregory's Catholic Primary School have?

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School has 234 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Gregory's Catholic Primary School cover?

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Gregory's Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Gregory's Catholic Primary School?

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School is at Sandy Lane, Lydiate, Liverpool, Merseyside, Merseyside, L31 2LB.