Banks St Stephen's CofE School

Banks St Stephen's CofE School is performing at a strong standard overall, with notable strengths in its curriculum planning, teaching quality in mathematics and writing, and effective support for vulnerable pupils. The school has been recognized for its commitment to safeguarding and inclusion, creating a safe and welcoming environment for its diverse pupil body. However, there are areas requiring attention, particularly in phonics and reading instruction, as well as improving pupil attendance, which has remained below average. The school is taking measured steps to address these issues, but it will take time for these initiatives to reflect positively in pupil outcomes.

Strengths

• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Well-structured curriculum that builds logically across year groups.
• Successful teaching of writing and mathematics.
• Highly effective safeguarding measures.
• Engagement with the community through resources like the 'Sharing Shed'.

Areas for Improvement

• Recent decline in phonics and reading instruction quality.
• Below average performance in Year 1 phonics screening check.
• Persistent absence rates are higher than they should be.

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 Banks St Stephen's CofE School attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.6% 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 Banks St Stephen's CofE School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Banks St Stephen's CofE School had 22.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.2% 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, 15.6% of pupils at Banks St Stephen's CofE School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Banks St Stephen's CofE School received £6,937 and spent £7,159 for each of its 199 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £60,000 (£300 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 Southport · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Banks St Stephen's CofE School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Banks St Stephen's CofE School is Needs attention, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Banks St Stephen's CofE School last inspected by Ofsted?

Banks St Stephen's CofE School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Banks St Stephen's CofE School have?

Banks St Stephen's CofE School has 199 pupils on roll.

What age range does Banks St Stephen's CofE School cover?

Banks St Stephen's CofE School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Banks St Stephen's CofE School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Banks St Stephen's CofE School?

Banks St Stephen's CofE School is at Greaves Hall Avenue, Banks, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 8BL.