St Edward's Catholic Primary School

St Edward’s Catholic Primary School is a small Roman Catholic primary school in Runcorn. It was previously judged to require improvement, and this inspection found it now effective across all inspected areas, including early years. Leaders are ambitious for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and pupils feel happy and safe at school. The curriculum has been developed diligently and is well thought out from Reception to Year 6, with precise design for the school’s three mixed-age classes. High-quality training supports teachers, phonics teaching is strong, and many pupils become fluent readers by the end of Year 2. Support for pupils with SEND is effective, behaviour is good, attendance systems work well, and pupils benefit from a broad range of personal development opportunities. The main area for improvement is in a small number of foundation subjects, where gaps in pupils’ knowledge resulting from previous curriculum weaknesses have not always been identified or addressed. As a result, some pupils are less well prepared for the next stage of education. Safeguarding is effective, and governors support and challenge the school well.

Strengths

• The curriculum is well thought out and adapted precisely for mixed-age classes.
• High-quality training builds teachers’ expertise to deliver the curriculum effectively.
• Phonics teaching is consistent and effective, with timely support for pupils who need it.
• Many pupils become fluent readers by the end of Year 2.
• Pupils with SEND are well supported to access the same curriculum as their peers.
• Pupils behave well in a calm and purposeful atmosphere.
• Attendance systems identify and address most concerns at an early stage.
• Personal development is enhanced through clubs, responsibilities and community activities.
• Pupils learn about online safety, protected characteristics and healthy relationships.
• Governors support and challenge the school effectively.
• Staff appreciate the training and time provided for subject leadership roles.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of foundation subjects, pupils have gaps in knowledge from previous curriculum weaknesses.
• Some of these gaps have not been identified or addressed, so some pupils are not as well prepared for the next stage 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 St Edward's Catholic Primary School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.4% 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 St Edward's 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 St Edward's Catholic Primary School had 18.9 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, 17.0% of pupils at St Edward's Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.9% 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 Edward's Catholic Primary School received £8,264 and spent £8,690 for each of its 106 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £32,000 (-£299 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 Runcorn · Halton local authority: places and applications

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

The latest Ofsted rating for St Edward's Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

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

St Edward's Catholic Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

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

St Edward's Catholic Primary School has 106 pupils on roll.

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

St Edward's Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 42% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Edward's Catholic Primary School?

St Edward's Catholic Primary School is at Wivern Place, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1RZ.