Our Lady of Good Help Catholic Primary School

About Our Lady of Good Help Catholic Primary School

Our Lady of Good Help Catholic Primary School is a small state primary in Liverpool, ranking 16th out of 102 primary schools in the local authority — comfortably inside the top 25% of schools in the area. The three highest-scoring peers in Liverpool are Sudley Primary School, Bishop Martin Church of England Primary School in Woolton, and Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School, all of which sit at the very top of the local rankings. The school sits within a competitive local landscape where only eight of the 115 primary schools in the authority have achieved an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Smithdown Primary School, 2.2 km away. Headteacher Mark McQuiston leads a Roman Catholic school with 140 pupils against a capacity of 210, meaning there is room to grow. The school is significantly more diverse in terms of disadvantage than many of its neighbours, with 45.7% of pupils eligible for free school meals — well above the national average.

Academically, the school performs strongly against local benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Liverpool local authority average of just 59%. This puts the school 14 percentage points ahead of the typical LA school. Reading was a particular strength: every single pupil (100%) met the expected standard in reading, and 27% achieved the higher standard. Maths also performed well, with 82% reaching the expected standard and an average scaled score of 104. Writing saw 82% at expected and 18% at the higher level. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024 awarded a Good rating across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a clean sweep of Grade 2s that represents consistent improvement from the previous 2018 inspection, which had also been Good but with weaker early years provision.

The school offers a practical, well-equipped environment for its pupils. Facilities include art studios, a forest school, a gymnasium, music rooms, a sensory room and a chapel, reflecting its Catholic character. Sports provision covers tennis, athletics, swimming and cricket, while extracurricular clubs range from choir and drama to coding and eco club. The school has identified four specific SEND provisions: support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech language and communication needs, social emotional and mental health needs, and specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 25 applications for 15 places, with nine first-preference offers made. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic outcomes in a Catholic setting, particularly those whose children would benefit from the above-average SEND support and the small, community-focused atmosphere that comes with a 140-pupil roll.

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