St Mary's Church of England Primary School, West Derby

About St Mary's Church of England Primary School, West Derby

Parents considering St Mary's Church of England Primary School, West Derby will find a school that is clearly in demand. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 97 applications for just 30 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.23. Of those, 37 were first-preference applications, and all 30 places went to first-preference families. That level of competition suggests a strong local reputation. The school is led by headteacher Dave Harrop and has a Church of England character, though it is open to all. With 211 pupils on roll against a capacity of 212, it is effectively full. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 7.6%, which is below the national average for primary schools. While the Department for Education does not publish a parent view survey for this school, the high application numbers and low vacancy rate are strong signals that families in the area rate it highly.

Academically, St Mary's performs around the middle of the pack in Liverpool. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 60% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is just above the Liverpool local authority average of 59%. However, the school's ranking within the LA is 50th out of 102 primary schools, placing it in the bottom half. At the higher standard, 7% of pupils achieved the higher benchmark across all three subjects. Looking at individual subjects, reading and writing were stronger: 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in writing, compared with 70% in maths. Average scores in reading and maths were both 104, which is in line with the national average. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in December 2021, confirmed it remains Good, a rating it has held since its last graded inspection in March 2012.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for a primary of its size, including a library, playing fields, a forest school area, music rooms and a chapel. Sports provision covers tennis, netball, athletics, rounders, cross country, gymnastics and cricket, and there is a good selection of clubs including eco club, chess, film club, choir, science club and drama. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. Given its oversubscription, families living within the catchment area or with a church connection will need to check the admissions criteria carefully. This is a well-regarded local primary that suits families who want a Church of England school with a broad extracurricular offer and a solid, if not outstanding, academic record.

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