St Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary School

About St Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary School

St Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary School sits second out of 59 primary schools in Sefton, a position that puts it well ahead of the local authority average. Where the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 sits at 59 per cent, this school achieves 83 per cent — a gap of 24 percentage points. That places it in the top ten per cent nationally and the top six per cent in the North West. It is one of only six Outstanding-rated primaries in Sefton, and its nearest Outstanding neighbour, Rimrose Hope CofE Primary School, is 1.6 km away. The school is Roman Catholic and mixed, taking children from age three to 11, and has a nursery provision. With 236 pupils against a capacity of 210, it is clearly a popular choice among local families.

Academic outcomes at St Robert Bellarmine are strong across the board. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 93 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in both maths and writing, and 90 per cent did so in reading. At the higher standard, 34 per cent achieved in maths, 52 per cent in reading and 21 per cent in writing, while 17 per cent reached the higher threshold across all three subjects. Average scaled scores were 108 in both reading and maths, comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, awarded Outstanding across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a clean sweep of top grades, and the previous inspection in 2012 also rated the school Outstanding overall, suggesting consistent high performance over time.

The school is oversubscribed, with 120 applications for 30 places in the 2025/26 intake and 48 first-preference applications for those 30 spots — a ratio of four applicants per place. Facilities include a gymnasium, music rooms, a library, forest school, art studios, a sensory room, an ICT suite, playing fields and a chapel. Sports on offer range from athletics and football to dance and cross country, while clubs include coding, choir, art, science, gardening and drama. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health support. This is a school that suits families who prioritise strong academic outcomes within a Catholic ethos, and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process.

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