St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale

St Richard's Catholic Primary School is a calm, welcoming primary school in Skelmersdale. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, following a long period when it was exempt from routine inspection because it had previously been judged outstanding. Under the current framework the school is not given an overall effectiveness grade, but it was judged good in all key areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The school has high expectations and an ambitious, well-organised curriculum. Staff are well trained and use consistent approaches, reading is a high priority, and pupils with SEND are identified and supported well. Pupils are polite and considerate, take on leadership roles enthusiastically, and benefit from a wide range of high-quality personal development opportunities. Governance is effective, staff workload is considered, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main concern is that in a small number of subjects, including reading, the school does not consistently check rigorously enough that all pupils have learned what they need to. At times, gaps in pupils' knowledge are not identified and addressed promptly, so some pupils do not build up their knowledge as securely as they could. In a few subjects, revised curriculums have only recently been introduced, so it is too soon to see their impact.

Strengths

• Calm and welcoming school community
• Pupils are polite, considerate and positive about learning
• High expectations of all pupils
• Carefully tailored support helps pupils with SEND achieve well
• Ambitious and well-organised curriculum
• Well-trained staff use effective and consistent teaching approaches
• Reading is a high priority, with strong phonics and additional support
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of leadership roles and enrichment opportunities
• High-quality personal development prepares pupils well for later life
• Governors provide effective support and challenge and consider staff workload
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Most pupils attend regularly and demonstrate positive attitudes

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, revised curriculums have only recently been implemented, so impact is not yet clear
• In a minority of subjects, including reading, teachers do not check carefully enough that all pupils have learned what they need to
• Gaps in pupils' knowledge are not always identified and addressed rigorously, so some pupils' learning is less secure
• Some pupils do not build up their knowledge as quickly or as well as they could

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 Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.9% 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, 0.4% of pupils at St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale 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 Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale had 25.4 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, 6.5% of pupils at St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.7% 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 Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale received £7,639 and spent £8,214 for each of its 224 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £73,000 (£329 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).

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• Secondary Schools

All schools in Skelmersdale · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale last inspected by Ofsted?

St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale have?

St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale has 230 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale cover?

St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale?

St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale is at Sandy Lane, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 8LQ.