Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery

Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery continues to perform well, maintaining its good status since the last inspection in June 2018. Pupils enjoy a safe and inclusive environment, which fosters their confidence and independence. The school's revised curriculum is effectively designed to meet students' learning needs, and most pupils achieve well across subjects, particularly in reading and mathematics. However, some older pupils are facing challenges in reading fluency, which affects their access to the broader curriculum. The school has made notable improvements in supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), although the implementation of some new support systems is still developing.

Strengths

• Pupils describe the school as a safe and welcoming place.
• Many pupils demonstrate curiosity and enjoyment in learning.
• The revised curriculum effectively meets pupils' needs.
• Teachers deliver the curriculum consistently well from Nursery Year to Year 6.
• Pupils are well-behaved and uphold the school's charter.
• Support for pupils with SEND has improved considerably.
• Reading is prioritized, and most pupils become fluent and accurate readers.
• The school provides effective support for pupils’ wider development.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils in key stage 2 do not read as confidently and fluently as they could.
• New systems for supporting pupils with SEND are in 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 Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.6% 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, 0.8% of pupils at Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery 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 Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.5% 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, 16.2% of pupils at Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 18 pupils.

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 Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery received £7,740 and spent £7,860 for each of its 589 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £65,000 (£110 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 Liverpool · Liverpool local authority: places and applications

What is Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery have?

Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery has 597 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery cover?

Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery?

Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery is at Brockenhurst Road, Walton, Liverpool, L9 3BU.