Hillside Community Primary School

Hillside Community Primary School is performing well overall, having achieved a 'Good' rating across all key areas. Pupils are content and engaged, demonstrating positive behaviour and attitudes towards learning. The school has an effective curriculum that aligns with national standards, and it successfully supports pupils' personal development and social responsibilities. Children in the early years are notably thriving, becoming confident communicators early in their educational journey. However, the school faces challenges with regards to ensuring that all subjects reinforce prior learning consistently, which has affected some pupils' ability to retain knowledge long-term. Additionally, while there are initiatives in place to improve attendance, some pupils are still absent, impacting their overall achievement. Despite these concerns, the school is well-regarded, and leaders are committed to continuous improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils form strong and trusting relationships with peers and staff.
• The curriculum is interesting, engaging, and aligned with national standards.
• Early years provision is particularly strong, fostering good communication skills.
• Staff receive quality training and support to improve teaching.
• Pupils develop a love for reading and appreciate a diverse range of authors.
• There are numerous extracurricular activities that enhance pupils' skills and community engagement.
• The school effectively supports pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack consistent reinforcement of prior learning.
• Attendance initiatives have not yet achieved the desired impact.

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 Hillside Community Primary School attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.7% 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, 4.0% of pupils at Hillside Community 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 Hillside Community Primary School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.7% 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, 31.1% of pupils at Hillside Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% 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 Hillside Community Primary School received £10,309 and spent £10,404 for each of its 142 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £106,000 (£748 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 Skelmersdale · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Hillside Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hillside Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Hillside Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hillside Community Primary School was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Hillside Community Primary School have?

Hillside Community Primary School has 151 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hillside Community Primary School cover?

Hillside Community Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hillside Community Primary School?

Hillside Community Primary School is at Egerton, Tanhouse, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 6DE.