Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School
97%
Capacity
226
Pupils
2.5x
Demand
About Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School
Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School is a popular choice among local families, with 74 applications for just 30 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.47. Of those applications, 36 were first-preference requests, and all 30 places went to first-preference families. The school is a mixed, state primary for children aged 4 to 11, located in St. Helens, and is led by headteacher Phil Reece. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in November 2022, confirmed the school remains Good, a rating it has held consistently since its previous graded inspection in June 2017. The school’s early years provision was also judged Good in that 2017 inspection. With 226 pupils on roll against a capacity of 233, the school is nearly full, and the high demand suggests strong local confidence in what it offers.
Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection gave top marks for leadership and management, which was rated Good, alongside the same rating for overall effectiveness and early years provision. While the data does not include specific KS2 SATs results for Rainford Brook Lodge, the local authority average for KS2 attainment in St. Helens is 61, which provides a benchmark for the area. The school serves a relatively low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 9.1%, compared with the national average, and its SEND provisions cover a range of needs including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This indicates a school equipped to support a diverse range of learners, though without published exam data, parents may want to ask about recent outcomes directly.
The school site includes a library, ICT suite, gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, and a dining hall, plus a chapel. Sports on offer include athletics, football, netball, swimming and dance, while clubs range from choir and gardening to science club, drama and film club. With no nursery provision and no sixth form, the school focuses squarely on primary-age education. The oversubscription means families living closest to the school are most likely to secure a place, so checking the catchment area is essential. Rainford Brook Lodge suits families who want a well-regarded local primary with a broad range of extracurricular activities and a clear track record of good leadership, set in a community where demand consistently outstrips supply.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Rufford Road, St Helens, St. Helens, WA11 8JX |
| Headteacher | Phil Reece |
| Local Authority | St. Helens |
| Number of Pupils | 226 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 9.1% |
| School Capacity | 226 / 233 (97% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
9 Nov 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (9 Nov 2022): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 21 Jul 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
10Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed30
74
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
36 families put this school as their 1st choice (49% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:15
Breakfast club
07:30-08:55
After-school care
15:15-17:55
Source: rainfordbrooklodge.st-helens.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British96.9%
- Mixed1.3%
- White (other)0.9%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
4
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
3
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Rufford Road, St Helens
St. Helens, WA11 8JX
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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