Croxteth Community Primary School

About Croxteth Community Primary School

Croxteth Community Primary School is a state-funded, mixed primary in Liverpool that currently educates 312 pupils against a capacity of 328, meaning it is running close to full but with a small margin for new starters. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage: 65.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average and a clear indicator of the challenges the school addresses daily. Demand is solid — for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 48 applications for 41 places, with 38 of those coming as first preferences, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.17. This suggests that local families are actively choosing Croxteth, despite the availability of other options nearby. The school also offers nursery provision for children aged three and up, which may help families secure a place before the Reception year. Headteacher Lottie Harriman leads a school that has clearly earned a reputation for stability and improvement in a demanding context.

Academically, Croxteth performs respectably given its intake profile. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 68% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well above the Liverpool local authority average of 59%. This places the school 28th out of 102 primaries in the borough, comfortably in the top 50 nationally by this metric. Individual subject scores are solid: average reading and maths scores of 104 and 102 respectively, with 77% reaching the expected standard in both reading and writing, and 75% in maths. Higher-standard attainment is more modest — just 2% achieved the higher benchmark across all three subjects — which is unsurprising for a school with such high FSM eligibility. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 awarded an overall Good rating, a dramatic improvement from the Inadequate grade it received in 2018. Behaviour and attitudes, as well as personal development, were both rated Outstanding, reflecting a strong focus on character and conduct.

The school is well equipped for a primary of its size, with facilities including a sports hall, music rooms, a sensory room, art studios, playing fields, a library and a chapel. Sports provision covers dance, gymnastics, netball, cricket, cross country and tennis, while extracurricular clubs include eco club, chess, art, gardening and science club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school offers support across a wide range of SEND categories, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, social and emotional needs, and hearing impairment. Croxteth is not a selective or faith school, and its oversubscription but not extreme demand suggests it is a strong local option for families who value a school that has turned around its performance and now delivers good outcomes in a challenging urban context. It is particularly well suited to families in the Croxteth area of Liverpool who want a community primary with strong pastoral care and improving academic results.

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