Lingham Primary School

Lingham Primary School is a larger-than-average primary in an area with above-average deprivation, a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals and a well-above-average share of pupils with SEN support. Safeguarding standards are met. The inspection found the school performing well overall, with a strong inclusive culture and high expectations for all pupils. Leaders identify needs accurately, provide swift support and adapt teaching so that pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils can access an ambitious curriculum. Most areas are judged at the expected standard, with inclusion a notable strength. Pupils achieve well in mathematics and writing, the curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, early years provision is effective, and behaviour and personal development are very positive. Pupils feel safe, relationships are warm and pupils take pride in their school. However, attendance is a clear concern: some pupils, including those with SEND, do not attend regularly enough, and overall and persistent absence remain above national averages. Reading attainment also lags behind national expectations by the end of key stage 2, and disadvantaged pupils' gaps remain. Leaders are aware of these issues and are taking effective action, particularly on reading and attendance, but the improvements are recent and not yet fully embedded. Next steps include sustaining attendance and punctuality improvements, continuing to raise achievement in reading and for all groups, and embedding recent curriculum developments, including in early years.

Strengths

• Strong inclusive culture with high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Robust systems to identify pupils' needs and put appropriate support in place swiftly.
• Staff adapt lessons carefully so pupils with additional needs can access an ambitious curriculum.
• Leaders use additional funding effectively to support disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils attain well in mathematics and writing, and reading is improving through effective action.
• Well-designed, ambitious curriculums across subjects with clear progression from Nursery to Year 6.
• Consistent teaching approach with effective vocabulary instruction and assessment.
• Ambitious early years curriculum with a strong focus on language, communication, emotional development and phonics.
• Pupils' behaviour is extremely positive, and the school is calm and orderly.
• Warm relationships and responsive pastoral support help pupils feel safe and a sense of belonging.
• Pupils are polite, respectful, resilient and take pride in their work.
• Effective leadership and governance with accurate self-evaluation and a balance of support and challenge.
• Staff feel valued, and professional development and workload management are effective.
• Well-planned personal development covering online safety, mental health, relationships and British values.
• Wide enrichment opportunities, including clubs, visits and residentials, are available to all pupils.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils, including those with SEND, do not attend school regularly enough.
• Overall absence and persistent absence remain above national averages.
• Recent improvements in attendance have not yet had a sustained impact.
• Attendance and punctuality require further improvement so recent gains are sustained.
• Reading attainment by the end of key stage 2 lags behind national expectations.
• Disadvantaged pupils' performance gaps remain, particularly in reading.
• Curriculum developments, including in early years, need embedding so pupils secure deep knowledge across all subjects.
• Continued focus is needed on improving achievement for all groups to reach national expectations in reading.

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 Lingham Primary School attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.0% 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, 2.6% of pupils at Lingham 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 Lingham Primary School had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.3% 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, 17.4% of pupils at Lingham Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.7% 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 Lingham Primary School received £8,954 and spent £8,799 for each of its 265 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £151,000 (£572 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).

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What is Lingham Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lingham Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Lingham Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lingham Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Lingham Primary School have?

Lingham Primary School has 270 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lingham Primary School cover?

Lingham Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Lingham Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lingham Primary School?

Lingham Primary School is at Townmeadow Lane, Moreton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH46 7UQ.