Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School

About Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School

Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School in St. Helens is a smaller-than-average primary, with 214 pupils against a capacity of 242, leaving some spare places in theory. In practice, the school is heavily oversubscribed: for its 27 places in the 2025/26 intake, it received 50 applications, an oversubscription ratio of 1.85. All 24 first-preference applicants were offered a place, suggesting strong local demand, particularly from Catholic families. The school serves a community with above-average disadvantage — 33.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with the national primary average of around 23%. That context makes its outcomes particularly noteworthy. The school is led by headteacher Sinéad Walsh and has a Roman Catholic religious character, with a chapel on site and nursery provision for three-year-olds.

Academically, Holy Spirit performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 tests, 78% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, against a St. Helens average of 61%. That places the school 7th out of 47 primaries in the borough, in the top 25% nationally. Reading is a particular strength: 89% met the expected standard and 41% reached the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 108. Maths scores were more modest, with an average of 103 and 15% at the higher level. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in December 2024, confirmed that standards are being maintained, with the overall effectiveness rating remaining Good. Leadership and management, along with early years provision, were judged Outstanding, a notable upgrade from the Requires Improvement rating the school received in 2017.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a gymnasium, music rooms, playing fields and a dining hall. Sports provision covers netball, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, dance, cricket and football, while clubs include science, film, drama and choir. SEND support is well-developed, with provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language issues, hearing and visual impairments, multi-sensory impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent feedback is very positive: 88% would recommend the school, and 97% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic outcomes within a faith-based environment, particularly those whose children have SEND needs, and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process.

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