Banks St Stephen's CofE School
| Type | Primary / Voluntary controlled school |
| Age Range | 2-11 |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Greaves Hall Avenue Banks Southport Merseyside PR9 8BL |
| Phone | 01704225332 |
| Reference Number | 119384 |
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.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 189 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 50.79%
Girls: 49.21% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 27.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 7.4% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 23.6 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 24 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 24.3 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 16 | 27 |
| 2 | 11 | 11 | 22 |
| 3 | 13 | 11 | 24 |
| 4 | 7 | 15 | 22 |
| 5 | 13 | 8 | 21 |
| 6 | 17 | 13 | 30 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 84.1% |
| White, Other | 6.3% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1.6% |
| Indian | 1.1% |
| African | 1.1% |
| Asian, Other | 1.1% |
| Irish | 0.5% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.5% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Needs attention |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Needs attention |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| > Early Years | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 06 Jan 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 06 Jan 2026 | School inspection |
| 14 Sep 2021 | School inspection |
| 18 Mar 2021 | Monitoring visit |
| 20 Mar 2018 | Full inspection |
| 12 Mar 2014 | Full inspection |
| 27 Sep 2010 | Full inspection |
| 04 Oct 2007 | Full inspection |
| 06 May 2003 | Full inspection |
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.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 55% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 3% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 103 | ||
| Maths | 103 |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -4.7 | ||
| Writing | -1.8 | ||
| Maths | -4.4 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
UnlockUnlock Premium
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 7 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 11 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 6 | 3 |
Previous Years
Sample
Unlock| Name | Distance |
|
Banks Methodist School
Chapel Lane, Banks, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 8EY |
0.47 miles |
|
St John's Church of England Primary School
Rufford Road, Crossens, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 8JH |
1.24 miles |
|
Tarleton Mere Brow Church of England Primary School
The Gravel, Mere Brow, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 6JX |
1.55 miles |
|
Larkfield Primary School
Preston New Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 8PA |
1.95 miles |
|
Crossens Nursery School
Preston New Road, Southport, PR9 8PA |
1.96 miles |
|
Churchtown Primary School
St Cuthbert's Road, Churchtown, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 7NN |
2.05 miles |
|
Marshside Primary School
Elswick Road, Marshside, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 9XA |
2.14 miles |
|
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School
Radnor Drive, Churchtown, Southport, Lancashire, PR9 9RR |
2.23 miles |
|
Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School
Devonshire Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 7BZ |
2.55 miles |
|
Holmeswood Methodist School
Chapel Lane, Holmeswood, Nr Rufford, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L40 1UD |
3.1 miles |
|
Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Norwood Crescent, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 7DU |
3.13 miles |
|
Norwood Primary School
Norwood Crescent, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 7DU |
3.15 miles |
|
Educ8 Southport
197a Sussex Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 6DG |
3.29 miles |
|
Tarleton Community Primary School
Hesketh Lane, Tarleton, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 6AT |
3.51 miles |
|
Tarleton Holy Trinity CofE Primary School
Church Road, Tarleton, Tarleton Holy Trinity C of E Primary School, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 6UP |
3.53 miles |
|
Hesketh-With-Becconsall All Saints CofE School
Shore Road, Hesketh Bank, Shore Road, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 6RD |
3.59 miles |
|
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Southport
Manchester Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 9AZ |
3.69 miles |
|
St Philip's Church of England Primary School
Hampton Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 6SS |
3.83 miles |
|
Kew Woods Primary School
Ovington Drive, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 6JW |
3.94 miles |
|
Scarisbrick St Mark's Church of England Primary School
Southport Road, Scarisbrick, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L40 9RE |
4.3 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Peterhouse School
Preston New Road, Churchtown, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 8PA |
1.91 miles |
|
Presfield High School and Specialist College
Preston New Road, Churchtown, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 8PA |
1.93 miles |
|
Stanley High School
Fleetwood Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 9TF |
2.38 miles |
|
Meols Cop High School
Meols Cop Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 6JS |
3.43 miles |
|
Tarleton Academy
Hesketh Lane, Tarleton, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 6AQ |
3.61 miles |
|
Southport Education Group
Mornington Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 0TT |
3.78 miles |
|
Scarisbrick Hall School
|
4.75 miles |
|
Christ The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre
Stamford Road, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 4EX |
4.83 miles |
|
St Bede's Catholic High School, Lytham
Talbot Road, Lytham, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, FY8 4JL |
4.97 miles |