Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Arncliffe Road Review 2026: A Catholic primary in Halewood with top-quartile outcomes

“Only our best is good enough” is not treated as a slogan here, it is used as a working standard across curriculum, behaviour, and Catholic life. The result is a school that feels orderly and ambitious, while still staying rooted in the everyday realities of families in Halewood.

Academically, the school’s most recent Key Stage 2 picture is strong. In 2024, 82% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%. On FindMySchool’s primary ranking (built from official outcomes data), the school is ranked 2,848th in England and 23rd in Liverpool, putting it comfortably within the top 25% of primaries in England.

For admissions, the key headline is demand. Reception entry is oversubscribed, and the school sits within Knowsley’s coordinated admissions system, with an admission number of 45 set by governors.

A calm, purposeful tone comes through consistently in the school’s public materials and in formal external evaluation. Pupils are expected to behave well, and the “calm and orderly” feel is reinforced by routines that start early, particularly in the early years. Staff emphasise belonging and inclusion, with pupil leadership roles (for example, school council) positioned as part of the wider culture of responsibility.

The Catholic character is central and explicit. Prayer and liturgy are structured into daily life (with common prayers taught by phase), and families see the school’s faith identity not just in assemblies and Mass, but also in the way personal development and values are framed. The school also highlights its Live Simply Award and links this to Catholic Social Teaching, sustainability, and social justice.

Leadership visibility is a practical feature for parents. The current headteacher is Mr K Quigley, who also acts as the school’s safeguarding lead. Senior and subject leadership roles are clearly listed, which can be reassuring for families who want a straightforward sense of who does what.

The school’s latest published Key Stage 2 outcomes are notably above England averages across the measures most parents track first.

Key Stage 2 (2024)

• 82% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined (England average: 62%).

• At the higher standard, 30.33% reached greater depth in reading, writing and maths combined (England average: 8%).

• Average scaled scores were 107 in reading (England average benchmark: 100), 107 in maths, and 108 in GPS (grammar, punctuation and spelling).

These are the kind of figures that usually reflect two things happening at once: strong classroom routines and a curriculum that is sequenced carefully enough that pupils can remember and apply prior learning when the stakes rise in Year 6.

Rankings context (FindMySchool, based on official outcomes data)

Ranked 2,848th in England and 23rd in Liverpool for primary outcomes. This places the school above England average, within the top 25% of primary schools in England on FindMySchool’s measure.

Parents comparing nearby primaries can use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools to view these results side by side, especially when weighing schools with different intake patterns.

The curriculum is positioned as ambitious and broad, including for children in the early years. Formal review describes staff as well trained in most subjects, presenting information clearly and using assessment strategies to spot gaps and misconceptions, which matters for pupils who need timely catch up rather than vague reassurance.

Reading is treated as a core driver rather than a bolt-on. Early reading and phonics are described as systematic, with books matched to pupils’ phonics stage and additional daily support for those who need it. The school also points to practical reading culture work that is designed to draw parents in, such as Breakfast with Books and Book Buddies (older pupils reading alongside younger pupils).

The one “watch this space” area is curriculum refinement in a small number of subjects. External evaluation notes that, in some foundation subjects, curriculum thinking was still being refined, with too much content in some units leading to less clarity on the essential knowledge pupils must retain. For families, that is best read as a specific improvement focus rather than a whole-school weakness, but it is still worth asking about when visiting.

As a primary school with nursery provision, the next-stage question is mostly about transition to secondary and about how confident pupils feel moving from a familiar, Catholic-ethos setting into a larger environment.

For families in Knowsley, secondary applications for Year 7 entry to start in September 2026 open from 12 September 2025, with the national closing date 31 October 2025. That timeline can influence how early families start visiting secondaries and thinking about travel.

Local families often consider a mix of comprehensive and faith-based options across Knowsley and nearby Liverpool, depending on distance, siblings, and admissions criteria. Halewood Academy is one of Knowsley’s local secondary schools. Catholic secondary options in Liverpool, such as St Julie’s Catholic High School, have their own published admissions arrangements and supplementary requirements, so families need to plan documentation early if they are applying on faith grounds.

Holy Family Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided Catholic school. Governors are responsible for admissions decisions, while the local authority coordinates the process. The school’s published admissions number is 45 each year.

Demand signal (Reception entry route)

In the most recent admissions dataset, there were 89 applications for 44 offers. The recorded subscription proportion is 2.02, which is a little over two applications per place. First-preference demand is also slightly higher than first-preference offers (ratio 1.05), which is consistent with an oversubscribed school where proximity and criteria matter.

Key dates for Reception entry (September 2026 start)

• Application period: 12 September 2025 to 15 January 2026

• National offer day: 16 April 2026 (or the next working day)

Catholic admissions practicalities

If applying under Catholic criteria, families are expected to complete a Supplementary Information Form alongside the local authority preference form. The school is clear that applying is open to families of other faiths or none, but that parents should respect the Catholic ethos of the school community.

Nursery to Reception

The school takes children into nursery after their third birthday. However, attendance in nursery does not guarantee a Reception place, and families still need to apply through the normal Reception admissions round.

Parents who are judging realistic chances should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check their exact distance and priority position relative to other applicants, especially when an area is competitive year to year.

Pastoral care here is tightly linked to routines and relationships. Staff are described as knowing pupils and families well and acting quickly when concerns arise, which is particularly relevant in a primary setting where early intervention matters more than big sanctions. Bullying is described as rare, with swift adult action when it occurs.

Wellbeing is supported through both staffing and structured work. The senior leadership structure includes a named mental health and wellbeing lead, and the school’s wellbeing materials reference practical approaches such as mindfulness spaces in early years and family learning workshops designed to strengthen home-school alignment.

Faith and personal development are not separated. Catholic Social Teaching, prayer, and liturgy are presented as part of how pupils learn about responsibility, community, and care for others, which will suit families who want values to be taught explicitly rather than hinted at.

The school publishes a current club menu and differentiates between free and fee-paying sessions, which is helpful for families planning weekly logistics. Examples from the published offer include Lego Club (Reception), iPad Learning and a Well Being Club in Key Stage 1, and Multi Sports and SATs tuition sessions in Key Stage 2.

Music is another visible strand. The school’s music documentation describes a choir that performs in school and locally, plus opportunities for pupils in Years 5 and 6 to learn an instrument with weekly lessons delivered by peripatetic teachers.

Reading culture is supported beyond lesson time too. Breakfast with Books is framed as a parental engagement lever, and Book Buddies is set up as peer mentoring where older pupils read alongside younger pupils. The practical implication is that confident reading becomes socially normal, not an activity reserved for a small subset of children.

The school day for Reception to Year 6 runs 8:45am to 3:15pm, totalling 32.5 hours in a typical week. Nursery runs as separate morning and afternoon sessions, with pick-up stated as 11:30am for morning nursery and 3:30pm for afternoon nursery.

Breakfast Club is published as available for Reception to Year 6 at £2.50 per day. School lunches are listed at £2.10 per day for pupils who are not eligible for free school meals.

Wraparound care beyond Breakfast Club is not clearly set out in a single published timetable. Clubs provide after-school enrichment, but families needing consistent after-school childcare should ask directly about current options and days offered.

For transport, Halewood is served by local rail and bus links. Halewood Station is a local option for families commuting by train, and Merseytravel provides station and journey-planning information.

• Oversubscription reality. With 89 applications for 44 offers in the latest admissions dataset and a subscription proportion of 2.02, entry is competitive. Families should plan early and keep realistic fallback options.

• Faith paperwork and expectations. Catholic criteria applications typically require the Supplementary Information Form and a willingness to support the school’s explicit Catholic ethos in daily life.

• Curriculum refinement in a few subjects. External evaluation highlights that a small number of foundation subjects needed clearer identification of essential knowledge, which can affect long-term retention if not addressed. It is worth asking how this has been tightened since 2023.

• Nursery is not a guaranteed route into Reception. Nursery attendance does not automatically convert into a Reception place, so families should avoid assuming a “through route” without completing the full Reception process.

Holy Family Catholic Primary School is best understood as a high-expectations Catholic primary where routines, reading, and values education are treated as mutually reinforcing. Strong Key Stage 2 outcomes suggest pupils leave well prepared academically, and the day-to-day culture is designed to feel orderly and safe rather than laissez-faire. It suits families who want an explicitly Catholic ethos alongside above-average results, and who can engage early with a competitive admissions process.