Fender Primary School

Fender Primary School is a school with a clear inclusive ethos and significant strengths in pastoral care, inclusion and personal development. Inspectors found that leaders know the community well and that pupils, including those with SEND and those in the specially resourced provision for autistic spectrum disorder, are well supported. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils behave well, feel safe and benefit from positive relationships and a wide range of wider opportunities. The curriculum has been improved and is now well ordered, with effective early years provision and strong phonics teaching. However, the school is still addressing the legacy of historical curriculum weaknesses. Achievement is the main area needing attention: attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 has been below national averages, and some older pupils have gaps in their learning that leave them less well prepared for the next stage. Teaching is generally effective, but challenge is not consistently deep enough for some pupils. Attendance is also an area of concern, with rates below the national average and persistent absence well above it, meaning some pupils miss too much education. The inspection took place after considerable leadership changes, including a new headteacher and assistant headteacher appointed in September 2024 and a new chair of governors in October 2025. Leaders, governors and staff have made positive changes, and current pupils are achieving better than in the past, but the next steps focus on reducing gaps in older pupils' knowledge, improving challenge in lessons and securing sustained improvements in attendance.

Strengths

• Inclusive culture ensures pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those known to social care are identified and supported quickly.
• Strong pastoral care and family engagement, including coffee mornings and regular progress discussions.
• High expectations and a tailored curriculum in the specially resourced SEND provision.
• Pupil premium funding is used very well to enhance disadvantaged pupils' life chances.
• Well-ordered curriculum that builds knowledge over time and links to the local area.
• Sharp focus on reading, writing and number skills from Reception, with effective phonics teaching.
• Effective professional development and secure teacher subject knowledge.
• Strong early years provision where children behave well, build vocabulary and are prepared for Year 1.
• Leaders and governors have pupils' interests at the heart of decisions and provide appropriate support and challenge.
• Personal development programme builds safety, healthy relationships, respect and tolerance.
• Pupils behave very well, are polite and respectful, and lessons proceed without interruption.
• Wide range of clubs, leadership responsibilities and enrichment opportunities.
• Safeguarding standards are met and there is an open culture of safeguarding.
• Staff feel valued and leaders prioritise wellbeing and workload.

Areas for Improvement

• Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 has been below national averages over time.
• Some older pupils have gaps in learning caused by historical curriculum weaknesses and are not prepared well enough for the next stage.
• Teachers do not consistently provide enough challenge to deepen some pupils' learning.
• Attendance remains below the national average.
• Persistent absence is well above the national average, so some pupils miss too much education.
• Procedures for tackling pupil absence need review and refinement to secure sustained improvement for all groups.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment remains below national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.

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 Fender Primary School attended 88.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 36.8% 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, 3.7% of pupils at Fender 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 Fender Primary School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 27.4% 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, 30.2% of pupils at Fender Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 14.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 18 pupils.

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 Fender Primary School received £8,813 and spent £9,888 for each of its 275 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £144,000 (-£523 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

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What is Fender Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Fender Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Fender Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Fender Primary School have?

Fender Primary School has 275 pupils on roll.

What age range does Fender Primary School cover?

Fender Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 41% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Fender Primary School?

Fender Primary School is at New Hey Road, Woodchurch, Wirral, Merseyside, CH49 8HB.