Lowton Junior and Infant School

Lowton Junior and Infant School has been judged good in all key areas following this graded inspection, having previously been rated as requiring improvement. Inspectors found an inclusive, nurturing school where pupils are kind, polite and well behaved, relationships with staff are strong, and pupils achieve well by the time they leave Year 6. The curriculum is ambitious and staff are well trained, with reading and phonics given high priority and early years provision getting children off to a strong start. Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and supported, and personal development is well provided for through PSHE, British values, enrichment and leadership opportunities. The main areas for improvement are persistent absence, inconsistent checking of pupils’ learning in some subjects, and gaps in governors’ knowledge and skills. Although attendance strategies have led to a small improvement, many pupils remain persistently absent and miss learning. In some subjects, staff do not check consistently well what pupils have learned, so gaps are not always identified and activities are not always well matched to prior knowledge. Governors are supportive but currently lack the necessary knowledge of quality of education to challenge the school as precisely as they could. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provision and offers breakfast club and after-school provision. Under the current inspection framework, no overall effectiveness grade is given; the school is good in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.

Strengths

• Inclusive and nurturing environment with strong, trusting staff-pupil relationships
• Pupils are kind, considerate, polite and behave well in lessons and around school
• Ambitious curriculum with well-trained staff who teach with confidence
• Reading and phonics are prioritised, with effective support for pupils who struggle
• Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and learning is adapted to meet their needs
• Early years provision gives children a flying start and carefully selected resources support purposeful play
• Personal development is strong, including PSHE, British values, enrichment and leadership opportunities
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absence remains high for many pupils, hampering their learning and achievement
• Staff do not consistently check what pupils have learned in some subjects, so gaps are not always identified
• Governors lack some knowledge and skills needed to challenge the school effectively on quality of education

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 Lowton Junior and Infant School attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.8% 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, 2.5% of pupils at Lowton Junior and Infant 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 Lowton Junior and Infant School had 26.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.5% 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, 11.6% of pupils at Lowton Junior and Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 Lowton Junior and Infant School received £6,709 and spent £7,463 for each of its 199 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £23,000 (-£118 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 Warrington · Wigan local authority: places and applications

What is Lowton Junior and Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lowton Junior and Infant School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Lowton Junior and Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lowton Junior and Infant School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Lowton Junior and Infant School have?

Lowton Junior and Infant School has 199 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lowton Junior and Infant School cover?

Lowton Junior and Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Lowton Junior and Infant School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lowton Junior and Infant School?

Lowton Junior and Infant School is at Newton Road, Lowton, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 2AW.