Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School

Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary school that was previously judged outstanding and had not had a routine section 5 inspection since 2014; this 2025 inspection was its first routine inspection since the pandemic. Inspectors found a school that is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND, with children getting a positive start in the early years and pupils generally working hard, behaving well and feeling safe and supported. The curriculum sets out important knowledge from Nursery to Year 6, and SEND identification and support are effective; parents value the help they receive. Phonics is a clear strength, helping pupils become confident readers. Pupils benefit from strong pastoral care, a calm atmosphere, and a wide range of visits, clubs and responsibilities. Recent work to improve attendance is beginning to reduce persistent absence, and new governors have quickly got up to speed. Safeguarding is effective. The main area for improvement is a very small number of subjects where learning activities do not consistently build pupils' understanding of the planned key knowledge, leaving some pupils with insecure knowledge and misconceptions. Leaders should ensure teachers are equipped to design activities that deepen knowledge in these subjects. Overall, the school is performing well across the judged areas, with this curriculum weakness being the notable exception.

Strengths

• Ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with SEND, planned from Nursery to Year 6.
• Effective SEND identification and well-chosen resources help pupils access the same curriculum as peers.
• Parents value the support pupils with SEND receive and feel better able to help learning at home.
• Strong phonics teaching helps pupils become confident readers and builds enthusiasm for reading.
• Early years staff help children get off to a positive start and establish good routines.
• Pupils generally behave well, treat each other with respect and have positive attitudes to learning.
• High expectations and strong pastoral support help pupils feel happy and safe.
• Pupils take on responsibilities and contribute to charity work, developing empathy and understanding of helping others.
• Broad personal development offer includes educational visits, residential trips, clubs, healthy relationships and healthy diet.
• New governors have quickly understood their responsibilities and work effectively with the school.
• Staff value the school's focus on well-being and training.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a very small number of subjects, learning activities do not consistently build pupils' understanding of key curriculum knowledge.
• Some pupils' knowledge is insecure and misconceptions remain in those subjects because activities do not deepen understanding.
• Persistent absence has been too high in previous years, although recent strategies are beginning to reduce it.

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 Rosary Catholic Primary School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.5% 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 Holy Rosary 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 Rosary Catholic Primary School had 23.3 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, 9.3% of pupils at Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Rosary Catholic Primary School received £6,047 and spent £6,136 for each of its 445 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £92,000 (£206 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 Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

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

Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School have?

Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School has 450 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School cover?

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

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

In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School?

Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School is at Oriel Drive, Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, L10 6NJ.