Willow Tree Primary School
About Willow Tree Primary School
Willow Tree Primary School in Knowsley is a state-funded mixed primary for children aged 4 to 11, currently home to 189 pupils against a capacity of 201. That near-full roll is no accident: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 27 applications for just 18 places, making it officially oversubscribed. Fifteen of those applicants put Willow Tree as their first preference, and all 15 were offered a place — a strong signal of local demand. The school serves a community with significant economic disadvantage; 66.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Under headteacher Emma Riley, the school has no religious character and no nursery or sixth form provision. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023 rated it Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2017.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
27 Jun 2023Source: Ofsted, 20 Sept 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:15
Source: willowtree.knowsley.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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