Norman Pannell Primary School

About Norman Pannell Primary School

Norman Pannell Primary School is a state-funded, mixed primary school in the Liverpool local authority, serving children aged 3 to 11. It sits within a competitive local landscape; among the 115 primary schools in Liverpool, it ranks 95th by its KS2 reading, writing and maths expected standard measure. The top-performing peers in the authority include Sudley Primary School, Bishop Martin Church of England Primary School in Woolton, and Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School, each scoring notably higher on the same metric. The school is led by headteacher Robert Simpson and has a non-religious character. With 214 pupils on roll, it is slightly over its official capacity of 210, and a significant 55.3 per cent of its pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. The school also offers nursery provision, making it a full primary option from age three.

Academically, Norman Pannell’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good overall, with Good marks across every category including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Its previous inspection in 2016 also rated the school Good overall, though early years provision was then judged Outstanding. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, just 32 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Liverpool local authority average of 59 per cent. Individual subject results show 52 per cent reached the expected standard in reading, 60 per cent in writing, and 44 per cent in maths. The proportion achieving a higher standard in all three subjects was 8 per cent. Average scores were 102 in reading and 99 in maths, both slightly below national averages.

The school provides a broad range of facilities including playing fields, a sports hall, art studios, a gymnasium, a library, music rooms, a forest school, and a chapel. Sports on offer include tennis, cricket, swimming, cross country, athletics, dance, and football, while clubs range from chess and choir to book club and coding. The school’s SEND provisions cover moderate learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties or disabilities. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 27 applications were received for 23 places, with 20 first-preference offers made. This suggests a steady local demand, and the school may suit families seeking a community-focused primary with strong pastoral and SEND support, particularly those who value its forest school and varied extracurricular offer.

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