St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick

St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Scarisbrick demonstrates a strong commitment to improvement and has made notable progress since the last inspection. The school fosters a positive atmosphere where pupils feel safe, supported, and valued. Leaders have prioritized attendance, achieving rates above the national average, and are actively working to enhance personal development and well-being. However, the school faces challenges in ensuring consistent academic success across all subjects, particularly in writing and mathematics, indicating a need for ongoing refinement in teaching and curriculum delivery.

Strengths

• Strong leadership demonstrating awareness of strengths and areas for improvement.
• Positive and calm atmosphere promoting good behaviour among pupils.
• Effective early years provision helping children to settle and engage in learning.
• Well-sequenced personal development program aligned with the school's ethos.
• High levels of staff support for pupil wellbeing and professional development.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent pupil achievement in national tests, particularly in writing and mathematics.
• Some pupils have not closed gaps in their foundational knowledge quickly enough.
• Variable quality of teaching affecting pupils' confidence and learning outcomes.
• Lack of precision in identifying and assessing pupils' individual needs.

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 Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick attended 93.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.9% 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 Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick 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 Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick had 14.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.4% 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, 7.1% of pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% 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 Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick received £12,482 and spent £12,165 for each of its 56 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £56,000 (£995 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 Ormskirk · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick have?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick has 56 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick cover?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Scarisbrick is at Hall Road, Scarisbrick, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L40 9QE.