St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School Review 2026: A Heart at the Centre of the Community

Pupils arrive with big smiles on their faces each morning. This is not a marketing slogan but a direct observation from Ofsted inspectors visiting St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School in June 2023. Located in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, this small state Catholic school serves children aged 4 to 11 with a genuinely supportive atmosphere where Gospel values shape daily life. The school opened in the early 1950s on Green Lane before moving to its current Sands Road location in 1971, anchoring itself firmly in the local community and parish since then. With approximately 217 pupils, the school sits comfortably in the top 10% of primary schools in England for KS2 results (FindMySchool ranking), while maintaining the smaller-school ethos where staff know every child individually. The teaching of Jesus and the encouragement for pupils to "love, learn and serve" form the bedrock of the school's identity, evident in everything from classroom routines to behaviour expectations and pastoral care.

This is a school genuinely at the heart of its community. The school and parish of St Anthony of Padua occupy the same grounds, a physical arrangement that reinforces the deep integration of faith and family life. The school's mission statement, Growing Together Following Jesus, is not a phrase confined to a prospectus but something that permeates classrooms, corridors, and collective worship spaces.

Leadership is a significant strength. Headteacher Mr Michael Brooks and his leadership team, including Deputy Head Mrs S Bloor and SENCO Mrs C Roach, have created an environment where relationships between staff and pupils are visibly strong. Ofsted noted that relationships help pupils feel safe and happy, and this is reinforced by parent feedback. In the Ofsted Parent View survey from 2023, 89% of respondents strongly agreed that their child feels safe at school, with only 1% disagreeing.

Catholic life is woven deliberately throughout the school day. The teaching follows the Come and See religious education curriculum, which sequences learning around Gospel values and Church celebrations. Collective worship includes regular assemblies where pupils are encouraged to reflect on faith, supported by the parish chaplaincy and connections to the broader Archdiocese of Liverpool. On rare occasions when behaviour issues arise, they are addressed swiftly and effectively. The school has been awarded the Inclusion Mark, Basic Skills Quality Mark, Liverpool Counts Quality Mark, and Liverpool Reading Quality Mark, reflecting its commitment to personalised support and inclusive practice. The school also holds Dyslexia Friendly School Level 1 status, demonstrating structured support for pupils with specific learning differences.

A notable national distinction has been the School Games Gold Award, recognising the school's consistent dedication to physical activity and competitive sport within a community context.

KS2 Performance

The most recent KS2 results reveal a school performing well above national averages across reading, writing, mathematics, and science. In 2024, 89% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and mathematics combined, compared to the England average of 62%. This represents a gap of 27%age points, positioning the school firmly in the upper tier of performance.

Reading performance is particularly strong. The average scaled score of 109 (England average: 100) indicates that most pupils have exceeded the expected standard. All pupils (100%) met the expected standard in reading, with 38% achieving the higher score. This reflects significant investment in reading across the school, with reading placed at the heart of the curriculum and celebrated with enthusiasm through book-based learning.

Mathematics shows similar strength, with an average scaled score of 109 and 91% meeting expected standards, 44% achieving higher scores. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling achieved an average scaled score of 110, the highest of the three areas, with 91% at expected standard and 53% at the higher level. Science results reflect the school's approach to teaching science as an individual discipline: 94% of pupils met expected standards.

The school ranks 812th in England for primary KS2 results (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the national high band, which represents the top 10% of schools nationally. Locally, it ranks 3rd among primaries in Liverpool, a position of genuine competitive strength without being in a grammar-only selective context.

Teachers here have high expectations of all pupils' behaviour and learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The curriculum is described as rich and varied, with emphasis placed on sequencing learning carefully so that pupils make connections with prior knowledge and are well prepared for subsequent phases.

Reading is positioned as the centrepiece of the school's pedagogical approach. Teachers use high-quality texts to promote a genuine love of reading across the curriculum. Pre and post-learning tasks allow pupils to recap previous understanding and then celebrate what they have learned. Subjects are taught as distinct disciplines, with English and mathematics skills promoted across all areas. Learning is broken into small, progressive steps that build deliberately from one lesson to the next.

In core areas, clear paths of progression and accurate assessment practices are particularly strong. The school has identified that assessment systems need embedding more widely across the broader curriculum to match the rigour evident in reading, writing, and mathematics. Monitoring systems quickly identify and support pupils who fall behind; this approach has been particularly effective in improving boys' attitudes towards reading, an area of traditional challenge in many schools.

Teaching quality is consistently good. Teachers are passionate about their work, feel supported by leaders and governors, and are encouraged to refine their approaches through professional training and ambitious targets. Educational visits extend learning beyond the classroom, with visits to local libraries and the story barn enriching pupils' experiences.

The school provides sound value for money in its pastoral structures. Each pupil has a consistent relationship with their class teacher and form group, ensuring that staff understand individual needs and can respond quickly to concerns. The SENCO, Mrs C Roach, works to coordinate support for the approximately 45 pupils on the SEN register, a significant proportion reflecting the school's commitment to inclusive practice.

Leaders have created a caring and supportive environment where everyone is respected. When bullying does occur (rare cases), the school addresses it swiftly and effectively. Pupils are encouraged to develop resilience and confidence by taking on various leadership positions, such as serving on the school council or as playground buddies. Teachers help pupils to understand the importance of physical and mental wellbeing; as a result, pupils know how to keep themselves fit and healthy.

The school recognises the importance of emotional regulation and social-emotional development. While formal counselling is not mentioned as part of regular provision, the pastoral systems are sufficiently robust that concerns are identified early and supported appropriately.

Extracurricular opportunities provide genuine breadth and balance to the academic day.

Sports and Physical Activity

The School Games Gold Award reflects the school's notable commitment to physical activity and competitive sport. Pupils participate in a wide range of team and individual sports. Cross-country running is an established offering, with pupils developing stamina and resilience through this discipline. Team sports feature prominently, though specific details of current clubs (football, netball, rugby, hockey) are not formally published on accessible pages. The school's one-form entry structure means that competitive opportunities are carefully managed, with inter-school fixtures prioritised alongside intra-school events.

Music and Performing Arts

Choir is an established ensemble at the school. Pupils interested in developing musical skills have opportunities to participate, though specific details of instrumental tuition availability and specialist music spaces are not published. The breadth of the music programme appears to be linked to the wider extracurricular timetable, which runs Monday to Thursday after school.

Clubs and Academic Enrichment

Chess club is a named offering, reflecting the school's commitment to strategic thinking and logical reasoning. Educational visits to local libraries and the story barn are scheduled regularly, supporting pupils' reading development in authentic settings. The Fun Times Activity Club and Raring Stars are mentioned in Ofsted documentation, though their precise focus is not detailed in publicly available information.

The school's extracurricular structure operates on a termly rotation, with different clubs and activities offered across the year to maintain variety and engagement. This approach allows all pupils to sample different activities without creating rigid silos of engagement.

Curriculum Enrichment

Learning is enriched beyond the classroom through structured educational visits. The partnership with local libraries positions literacy as a community pursuit rather than a classroom-only activity. The phrase "read together for pleasure," quoted from a Year 6 pupil, captures the school's aspirational approach to reading engagement. The school works in partnership with parents, libraries, parishioners, and other local schools to create a culture where reading is valued and celebrated.

This is a voluntary aided Catholic primary school, which means admission is managed through coordinated admissions by Liverpool City Council. The school is oversubscribed, with 77 applications received for 29 places in the latest cycle. This gives a subscription proportion of 2.66 applications per place, indicating significant local demand.

All first preferences resulted in offers being made; the school received 100% of its applications as first preferences, suggesting that most families ranking the school as first choice were successful. This high conversion suggests limited distance-based competition at current admission volumes, though exact distance data for the school's last distance offered is not published in the available records.

Parents must apply through the coordinated admissions process by the published deadline set by Liverpool City Council. Catholic primary schools in England often operate faith-based admissions criteria, prioritising children of Catholic families (typically evidenced by a Certificate of Catholic Practice). However, as a voluntary aided school, St Anthony of Padua also admits pupils from other faiths and none, particularly in the latter years of the school if places remain available after faith-based cohorts are fully admitted.

Families should check the school's admissions policy on their website or contact the school directly for current criteria and application deadlines.

The overall quality of teaching is high. Teachers are passionate about their subjects and their pupils' progress. Leadership, management, and forward planning under the headteacher are effective. There is very good financial planning and management, ensuring that resources are allocated strategically to support teaching and learning.

Senior leadership is supported by a strong partnership with the Archdiocese of Liverpool, Liverpool City Council, and the parish. An experienced governing body guides the school's work, providing both challenge and support. This multi-stakeholder governance structure has proven effective in maintaining both faith integrity and educational standards.

School day

8:50am to 3:20pm (exact times should be confirmed with the school).

Wraparound care

Information about before-school and after-school care (breakfast club, after-school club, or holiday club) is not detailed in publicly available sources. Parents should contact the school directly on 01517243233 or via b.middlebrough@st-anthonypadua.liverpool.sch.uk to enquire about availability and arrangements.

Transport

The school is located in Mossley Hill, Liverpool L18 8BD, with public transport links via Merseyside bus services. Parking availability and walking routes should be verified during a visit to the school. The parish and school occupy the same site, making the location a recognisable local landmark.

Uniform

The school expects all pupils to take pride in their appearance and dress neatly at all times. Shoes should be kept clean and regularly polished. Bare feet are not permitted for health and safety reasons.

Oversubscribed: The school receives 2.7 times as many applications as places, reflecting strong local demand. Securing entry is competitive, and families should ensure they have alternative secondary options within their catchment. The school's admission criteria (faith-based for Catholic families) may affect eligibility; checking the formal admissions policy is essential.

Size and cohort: This is a one-form entry school with approximately 30 pupils per year group and 217 on roll. While this creates a close-knit community where staff know every child, it also means limited diversity of friendship groups and potentially fewer distinct peer groups during transition to secondary. Pupils who thrive in small, familiar environments will likely flourish; those seeking wider social mixing may need to actively develop friendships across year groups.

Faith commitment: The school's Catholic character is genuine and pervasive. The Come and See curriculum, regular collective worship, parish connections, and Gospel values woven throughout the day mean that faith is not marginal but integral. Families comfortable with explicit religious teaching and practice will find a coherent community; families uncomfortable with daily prayer and regular references to Catholic belief should look for a secular state school alternatively.

Assessment in broader curriculum: Ofsted noted that assessment systems need embedding across the wider curriculum to match the rigour of reading, writing, and mathematics. While this is not a major weakness, it suggests that subjects beyond core areas may have less detailed progress tracking. The school has identified this area for development and is working on it.

St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School offers a genuinely supportive, faith-centred education where pupils feel safe, known, and valued. The consistent strong results in KS2 (top 10% nationally, 3rd locally), combined with evident pastoral strength and genuine community integration, make this an attractive choice for Catholic families and those comfortable with the school's explicit religious character. The school's size creates authentic relationships; its location anchors it within both parish and broader community.

This school suits families within the oversubscribed catchment area who value a Catholic education, prioritise pastoral care and behaviour alongside academic achievement, and want their child to be known individually by staff. The main barrier is obtaining a place; once secured, the education and community experience are genuinely strong.