Childwall Valley Primary School

Childwall Valley Primary School is a nurturing, inclusive primary school that inspectors judged to be meeting expected standards across all areas, with safeguarding requirements met. Pupils are proud of their school, behave well, feel safe and describe a calm, harmonious environment. The early years and key stage 1 are particular strengths: phonics and reading are prioritised, children settle quickly, and pupils generally achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics, with disadvantaged pupils attaining in line with disadvantaged peers nationally. Leadership has been strengthened by appointments in 2024, and leaders speak with one voice, have an accurate view of the school and have taken decisive action on mathematics outcomes. Inclusion is at the heart of the school, with effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, strong family partnerships, and extensive use of external specialists. Personal development, pastoral care and opportunities such as outdoor learning and university visits are well embedded. However, there are areas to improve. Persistent absence is above the national average, particularly for pupils with SEND, although it is reducing. Older pupils sometimes have gaps in knowledge; mathematics attainment fell in 2025; the revised reading curriculum is less developed in key stage 2; and some lesson activities do not consistently help pupils deepen or apply learning. Disadvantaged pupils' gaps in reading and mathematics widened in 2024/25. Inspectors asked leaders to continue embedding attendance systems, secure foundational knowledge consistently in reading, writing and mathematics, and ensure activities routinely deepen and apply learning.

Strengths

• Calm, safe and nurturing environment where pupils feel they belong.
• Pupils behave well, show respect and empathy, and report bullying is rare.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.
• Strong early years provision with an ambitious curriculum and high-quality interactions.
• Phonics and reading are prioritised and taught consistently, especially in the early years and key stage 1.
• Inclusion is at the heart of the school, with meticulous identification of barriers and effective support for SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum from Nursery to Year 6.
• Leaders have acted decisively to address mathematics outcomes, with early impact evident.
• Governors know the school well and provide effective support and challenge.
• Personal development is well embedded, including British values, safety education and extracurricular opportunities.
• Pupils benefit from strong pastoral care and specialist therapeutic support.
• Staff feel supported, are proud to work at the school and value professional development.
• Disadvantaged pupils attain in line with other disadvantaged pupils nationally.

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absence is above the national average, especially for pupils with SEND.
• Some pupils with SEND have barriers to their attendance.
• Older pupils, including those who join at different times, sometimes have gaps in knowledge.
• Pupils' attainment in mathematics was lower in 2025 than in previous years.
• The revised reading curriculum is less developed in key stage 2.
• Disadvantaged pupils' gaps in reading and mathematics widened in 2024/25.
• Some lesson activities do not help pupils extend their thinking, make connections or apply knowledge well enough.
• The work to build new learning on secure prior knowledge is still developing.
• Leaders should continue to embed attendance systems so attendance rises and persistent absence falls further.
• Leaders should ensure the recently introduced approach to securing foundational knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics is followed consistently well.
• Leaders should ensure teachers routinely design activities that help pupils deepen and apply their learning across the curriculum.

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 Childwall Valley Primary School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.8% 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, 1.3% of pupils at Childwall Valley 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 Childwall Valley Primary School had 21.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.1% 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, 12.3% of pupils at Childwall Valley Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.9% 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 Childwall Valley Primary School received £8,723 and spent £8,696 for each of its 217 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £293,000 (£1,355 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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What is Childwall Valley Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Childwall Valley Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Childwall Valley Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Childwall Valley Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Childwall Valley Primary School have?

Childwall Valley Primary School has 220 pupils on roll.

What age range does Childwall Valley Primary School cover?

Childwall Valley Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Childwall Valley Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Childwall Valley Primary School?

Childwall Valley Primary School is at Craighurst Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, L25 1NW.