St Mary's Catholic Junior Academy

About St Mary's Catholic Junior Academy

St Mary's Catholic Junior Academy in St Helens received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted in its most recent graded inspection in November 2022, a rating it has now held across two consecutive inspections. The school's overall effectiveness score of 3 out of 4 matches its previous inspection in 2018, when it was also judged to require improvement. However, the breakdown reveals a more nuanced picture: inspectors rated both personal development and behaviour and attitudes as Good, the second-highest mark. The weaker areas were quality of education and leadership and management, both judged as Requires Improvement. For a junior school serving 229 pupils aged 7 to 11, this pattern suggests that while the school's culture and pupil conduct are on solid ground, the academic curriculum and its delivery need further work. The school's local authority, St Helens, has seven primary schools rated Outstanding out of 54 total, so the benchmark for excellence is present nearby.

On academic outcomes, the most telling metric is the school's Key Stage 2 performance. The local authority average for pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths is 61%. St Mary's Catholic Junior Academy falls below this benchmark, though the exact school figure is not provided in the data. The school's percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 17.9%, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools and may partly contextualise the attainment gap. The school does not have a sixth form or nursery provision, focusing entirely on the junior years. With a capacity of 240 and 229 pupils on roll, the school is not oversubscribed, suggesting there is room for new families. The headteacher, Samantha Birchall, leads a team that Ofsted identified as needing improvement in leadership and management, which is likely a priority area for raising academic standards.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, ICT suite, music rooms, art studios, a sensory room and a chapel, reflecting its Roman Catholic character. Sports provision covers netball, rounders, gymnastics, cricket, dance, football and swimming, while extracurricular clubs include art, chess, film club, choir, drama and gardening. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary school is St Peter's CofE Primary School, 1.3 kilometres away, which may be a consideration for parents prioritising top Ofsted grades. This school will suit families who value a Catholic environment with strong pastoral care and behaviour, and who are comfortable with a school that is actively working on improving its academic outcomes.

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