Plantation Primary School

Plantation Primary School is a larger-than-average primary school within the Rowan multi-academy trust. This full section 5 inspection took place after the appointment of a new headteacher and deputy headteacher. Pupils are happy, confident and well behaved, and safeguarding requirements are met. Leaders have created a calm, inclusive school where pupils achieve broadly in line with national expectations, including in phonics, the Year 4 multiplication check and end-of-key-stage assessments. Early years provision is a particular strength, giving children a strong start in language, reading, writing and mathematics. Most areas of provision are secure. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, subject leaders are knowledgeable, and staff receive effective training. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to learning are identified quickly and generally supported well, with skilful adaptation in lessons. Personal development is broad, and pupils benefit from clubs, sports, educational visits and opportunities to learn about health, relationships, diversity and British values. Leadership and governance are effective, staff morale is high, and parents speak positively about the school. However, attendance is a significant concern. Overall absence and persistent absence have been above national averages for some time, including for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders have introduced a range of actions and attendance is beginning to improve, but it is too soon for this to show in the data. The writing curriculum also needs further development, and support for some pupils with SEND is not consistently matched to their foundational knowledge in language, reading and writing. These are the main priorities for further work.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve in line with national expectations, including in phonics, multiplication and end-of-key-stage assessments.
• Children make a strong start in early years, with an ambitious curriculum and effective phonics teaching.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and supported by high-quality staff training.
• Staff adapt learning skilfully so that pupils with SEND and other barriers can access the same curriculum.
• Pupils behave well, feel safe and show kindness and respect; bullying is rare.
• Personal development is broad, including clubs, sports, educational visits, mental health support and careers activities.
• Leadership and governance are effective, with new leaders raising expectations and strong staff morale.
• Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education.
• Safeguarding standards are met.
• Parents and pupils speak highly of the school and its community.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance remains below national averages and persistent absence is high, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• Improvements to attendance are not yet reflected in the data.
• The writing curriculum continues to require further development.
• Some pupils with SEND have targets that are not consistently and explicitly matched to their foundational learning needs.
• Support for pupils with SEND is not always consistently prioritised across all subjects to develop language, reading and writing.

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 Plantation Primary School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.7% 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, 0.2% of pupils at Plantation Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Plantation Primary School had 22.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.9% 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, 13.6% of pupils at Plantation Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.9% 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 2024–25 Plantation Primary School received £7,351 and spent £7,508 for each of its 473 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £424,000 (£897 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of The Rowan Learning Trust, income was £7,984 and spending £7,872 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

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All schools in Liverpool · Knowsley local authority: places and applications

Plantation Primary School is part of The Rowan Learning Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Prescot Primary School Prescot
• The Acorns Primary and Nursery School Ellesmere Port
• Kirkby High School Liverpool
• Whitley Village School Warrington
• Orrell Holgate Academy Wigan
• Marus Bridge Primary School Wigan
• Orrell Lamberhead Green Academy Wigan
• Hawkley Hall High School Wigan
• Farington Primary School Leyland
• The Heys School Manchester

What is Plantation Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Plantation Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Plantation Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Plantation Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Plantation Primary School have?

Plantation Primary School has 485 pupils on roll.

What age range does Plantation Primary School cover?

Plantation Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Plantation Primary School?

Plantation Primary School is at Hollies Road, Halewood, Liverpool, Merseyside, L26 0TH.