Four Oaks Community Primary School

About Four Oaks Community Primary School

Four Oaks Community Primary School sits in a challenging position compared with the Liverpool local authority average for primary schools. The LA average for Key Stage 2 attainment stands at 59, but Four Oaks’ most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated its overall effectiveness as Requires Improvement, with the quality of education and early years provision both marked at the same level. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage — 52.2 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, more than double the national average for primary schools. Despite these headwinds, the inspection found personal development and behaviour and attitudes to be Good, suggesting the school is managing pastoral care effectively even while academic delivery needs work. The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 52 applications for 39 places and 28 first-preference offers, indicating strong local demand from families who value what the school offers beyond raw attainment figures.

Academically, the picture is mixed. The school’s previous inspection in 2018 also rated it Requires Improvement overall, so progress has been slow. The 2022 inspection noted that leadership and management requires improvement, which will be a concern for parents focused on academic rigour. However, the Good ratings for personal development and behaviour suggest that pupils are engaged and well-supported in their wider growth. Without published Progress 8 or KS2 SATs data for this school in the available information, it is impossible to compare directly against the LA average of 59 for KS2 attainment. What is clear is that Four Oaks is not among the top performers in Liverpool — the nearest outstanding school, The Beacon Church of England Primary School, is only 0.6 km away, and the LA has eight outstanding primaries out of 115 total. Parents prioritising strong academic outcomes may want to consider those alternatives, but for families who value a supportive environment and are comfortable with a school in a period of improvement, Four Oaks remains a popular choice.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, art studios, sports hall, ICT suite, forest school, and playing fields, alongside a chapel. Sports provision covers football, cricket, swimming, dance, netball, rounders, and cross country, while clubs include art, drama, book club, and film club. For children with additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school has a nursery provision for children aged two and above, and is at full capacity with 350 pupils. Oversubscription means admission is not guaranteed, especially for families outside the first-preference pool. This school will suit parents who value a community-focused primary with strong pastoral care and a wide range of activities, and who are prepared to support the school through its current improvement journey rather than expecting top-tier academic results immediately.

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