Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School

Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School is performing well, maintaining the standards recognized in its previous inspection. The school creates a loving environment where pupils feel valued and supported, especially those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Pupils are dedicated to their learning and exhibit exemplary behavior, contributing to a positive atmosphere that fosters high expectations and personal growth. The curriculum is ambitious and inclusive, with staff well-trained to meet diverse needs, although improvements are needed in the recall of learning across some subjects. While the school excels in several areas, it faces challenges in ensuring that pupils frequently revisit and reinforce their learning from previous terms. The assessment strategies in certain subjects are still developing, indicating that there are opportunities to enhance how effectively gaps in knowledge are addressed. Overall, the school has a strong foundation, but further refinement in certain educational practices will help elevate the learning experience even more.

Strengths

• Pupils feel loved and valued in a welcoming school environment.
• Strong support is provided for pupils with SEND, enabling their success.
• High expectations are set for pupil learning and behavior.
• The curriculum is ambitious and logically structured since early years.
• Staff deliver phonics instruction consistently and effectively.
• Pupils develop into confident and competent readers through daily reading practices.
• Pupils have positive attitudes towards learning and are engaged in lessons.
• Broader personal development is well considered, including teaching about healthy relationships and online safety.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack regular opportunities for pupils to revisit and reinforce previous learning.
• Assessment strategies in certain subjects are in the early stages of implementation.

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 Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.5% 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, 2.8% of pupils at Holy Spirit Catholic 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 Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School had 19.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.3% 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, 13.1% of pupils at Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School received £7,578 and spent £7,630 for each of its 209 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £54,000 (£258 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 St Helens · St. Helens local authority: places and applications

What is Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School have?

Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School has 213 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School cover?

Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School?

Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School is at Brunswick Street, Parr, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 2JE.