Rainford CofE Primary School

About Rainford CofE Primary School

Rainford CofE Primary School sits within St. Helens local authority, a Church of England state primary for mixed pupils aged 4 to 11. In the most recent local rankings for KS2 outcomes, the school placed 21st out of 47 primary schools in the borough, placing it in the top half of its peers. The three highest-scoring schools in the same LA are St Mary's Catholic Primary School, St Mary & St Thomas CofE Primary School, and St Aidan's CofE Primary School Billinge, each with notably higher ranking scores. Rainford's own score of 64 places it a little below that top tier, but it still sits comfortably within the top 50 nationally for its key stage results. The school is led by headteacher Emma Shawcross and has a capacity of 315, though its current roll of 239 pupils suggests there is room for growth. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in September 2023, confirmed the school remains Good, a rating it has held consistently across its previous graded inspections.

Academically, Rainford CofE Primary delivers solid but not exceptional results. In the 2023/24 KS2 assessments, 64% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is just above the St. Helens local authority average of 61%. Reading is a relative strength: 83% met the expected standard and 38% reached the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 107. Writing saw 86% at expected and 14% at the higher level, while maths had 71% at expected and 19% at the higher level, with an average score of 104. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. The school ranks 900th in the North West region out of 2,065 primary schools, placing it in the 44th percentile regionally and the 46th percentile nationally. For families focused on high academic attainment, the top-performing schools in the LA may be a better fit, but Rainford's results are broadly in line with local norms.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, music rooms, a dining hall, outdoor playground, playing fields, a chapel, and a Forest School area. Sports provision covers rounders, swimming, athletics, gymnastics, netball, and cricket, while clubs include book club, film club, choir, coding, and drama. The school has a nursery provision, which is a useful option for families with younger children. SEND support is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Admissions for 2025/26 show the school is oversubscribed: 62 applications for 30 places, with 26 first-preference applications and 25 first-preference offers. That oversubscription ratio of 2.07 means competition is moderate but not extreme. This is a school that suits families who value a Church of England setting, a broad range of activities, and a solid, above-average academic baseline without the pressure of a top-tier ranking.

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