Garston Church of England Primary School

About Garston Church of England Primary School

Garston Church of England Primary School is the sixth-highest ranked primary in the Liverpool local authority, placing it comfortably within the top 10% of the 102 schools in its area. The three schools immediately above it are Sudley Primary School, Bishop Martin Church of England Primary School in Woolton, and Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School, each holding a slightly higher ranking score. Garston’s own score of 80 puts it in the top 25% of primaries nationally, and within the North West region it ranks 203rd out of 2,065 schools. The school is a state-funded, mixed-gender Church of England primary serving children from age 2 to 11, with a nursery on site. Headteacher Rachel Dean leads a school that is notably oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 35 applications for just 16 places, and all 16 first-preference applicants received an offer. That level of demand hints at a strong local reputation, and the school’s 46.9% pupil premium rate suggests it serves a community with above-average economic need.

Academically, Garston’s most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2022 awarded an overall rating of Good, a significant improvement from the Requires Improvement it received in 2017. The inspection report gave Outstanding marks for behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and early years provision, while quality of education and personal development were rated Good. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well above the Liverpool local authority average of 59%. Reading was a particular strength, with 96% reaching the expected standard and 40% achieving a higher score; maths followed closely with 92% at expected and 36% at the higher level. The school’s average reading score of 109 and maths score of 106 both exceed the national average. While progress scores are not available in the data, the attainment figures alone place Garston among the stronger performers in the city.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a chapel, music rooms, art studios, an ICT suite, a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, and an outdoor playground. Sports provision covers cross country, rounders, gymnastics, football and netball, while clubs include eco club, art club, book club, drama and choir. For families with children who have additional needs, Garston’s SEND register covers seven areas, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. With nursery provision from age 2 and no sixth form, the school is firmly focused on early and primary education. Given its strong local ranking, high oversubscription rate, and above-average outcomes, Garston is a good fit for families in south Liverpool who value a church school with a clear academic trajectory and a supportive, well-led environment.

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