St Jerome’s Catholic Primary School, Formby Review 2026: High-performing Catholic primary with a standout coastal curriculum

A Catholic primary in Formby where faith, academic ambition, and the local coastline shape day to day school life. The school’s stated mission centres on Growing in God’s love, and the website repeatedly links this to respect, community responsibility, and making the most of its surroundings.

Results are a clear strength. In 2024, 85.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 24% reached greater depth compared with 8% across England.

Leadership has recently changed. Mrs Gemma Veevers is the head teacher, appointed to start from September 2024.

The school presents itself as a close parish-linked community rather than a purely institutional setting, with regular opportunities for families and parishioners to be involved. That matters for day to day feel, because it tends to show up in routine, the language pupils use about kindness and responsibility, and how visible faith is in assemblies and celebrations.

A defining feature is the way location is treated as part of identity, not an occasional trip. The school runs Beach School as a planned programme for all pupils, with two sessions per term on the local beach and within the nearby coastal conservation area. Activities are deliberately practical and confidence-building, including games for cooperation, shelter building, climbing, and using natural materials for art. In summer, the programme can include a camp fire and toasting marshmallows. The important point is not the novelty, it is that outdoor learning is positioned as a core thread that links back to subjects such as science, geography, history, art, maths and English.

The culture also includes pupil responsibility. The inspection record describes roles such as reading ambassadors and school council activity linked to charity fundraising, which gives pupils visible ownership beyond the classroom.

This is a high-performing primary by the numbers that parents typically use to benchmark schools.

In 2024, 85.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. The England average is 62%, so this sits comfortably above typical national outcomes. At the higher standard, 24% reached greater depth in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%.

Subject measures are strong too. Reading expected standard is 94%, maths is 84%, and science expected standard is 84% (England average 82% for science). Average scaled scores are 109 for reading and 107 for maths.

Rankings are also positive. Ranked 2,478th in England and 20th in Liverpool for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits above England average and within the top quarter of primaries nationally.

Parents weighing alternatives can use the FindMySchool Comparison Tool on the Local Hub page to view these results side by side with nearby Formby and Sefton primaries.

The curriculum emphasis, as described in formal reporting, is on carefully sequenced knowledge that builds year on year, with particular structure in early reading and mathematics.

Early reading is a good example of the school’s approach. Reception starts phonics immediately, and key stage 1 reading books are matched closely to the sounds pupils have learned. That tight link between phonics teaching and reading material is usually what helps pupils gain fluency quickly, and it also reduces the number who need long catch-up programmes later on.

Writing has been an explicit improvement focus in recent years. The most recent inspection record notes weaker outcomes in writing at the end of Year 6 in 2022, followed by curriculum changes and a stronger emphasis on revisiting prior learning so gaps do not compound. For families, the practical implication is that expectations around transcription, sentence work, and extended writing are likely to be quite deliberate, especially in upper key stage 2.

Beach School adds a second layer to teaching style. It is not just enrichment, it is a planned, repeated experience designed to build knowledge of local wildlife and habitat and to connect learning across subjects through hands-on tasks.

St Jerome’s describes strong relationships with local secondary partners, specifically Formby High School, Range High School and Holy Family. That gives families a useful clue about typical transition routes and partnership work.

For most pupils, the main question in Year 6 will be which local secondary best fits their child’s temperament and interests, and whether a faith-based secondary route is important. The school’s emphasis on reading leadership roles and wider responsibility suggests pupils are used to structured expectations, which can help with the step up to larger settings.

St Jerome’s is a voluntary aided Catholic school, and the admissions authority is the governing body, with Sefton Council coordinating the overall process. For September 2026, the published admission number is 30.

If you want your application considered under the faith criteria, you complete the local authority application and also submit a supplementary form. Oversubscription is then applied in an ordered way, starting with looked-after and previously looked-after children, then baptised Catholic children (including siblings and parish links), followed by other Christian denominations, other faiths, and finally other children. Where places cannot be offered within a criterion, distance to the school gate is used.

Competition for places looks real. For the 2024 primary entry route, there were 60 applications for 30 offers, a ratio of 2 applications per place, and the school is classed as oversubscribed.

Families should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their exact home to school distance and to stress-test options, especially if they are relying on proximity as a tie-break after faith and sibling criteria.

Key local authority dates for Reception entry are clearly published for the current cycle. For September 2026 entry, the Sefton closing date for primary applications was 15 January 2026, with the national offer day on 16 April 2026.

Pastoral support is described as structured and multi-layered rather than informal. The local offer sets out clear routes for raising concerns, starting with the class teacher and escalating to the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCo), named as Mrs Buckley. It also describes termly review meetings for pupils with additional needs and regular involvement of external agencies where required, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, educational psychology, and the school nurse.

This matters because it signals two things parents often want to know. First, additional support is framed as part of mainstream classroom practice, with targeted interventions used when needed. Second, there is an explicit aim to build independence and avoid over-reliance on adult support.

The latest Ofsted inspection (18 and 19 April 2023) states the school continues to be Good and confirms safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Outdoor learning is the flagship. Beach School is not limited to one year group, it is planned for all pupils, two sessions per term, with themes that change across the year and links made back into the wider curriculum. The practical activities (shelter building, climbing, natural-material art) build physical confidence and teamwork, while the repeated focus on local habitat and history gives pupils a sense of place.

Clubs are varied and change by term. For Spring 2026, the school lists Dodgeball for different year groups, Minecraft, girls’ football (LFC), performing arts club, creative club, choir, and football.

Netball is also active, with sessions listed for older pupils and a separate club for classes 3 and 4.

Pupil roles add another strand of enrichment. Reading ambassadors support younger pupils to read for pleasure, and school council activity includes fundraising for charities, which helps build confidence and empathy in a practical, visible way.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

The website promotes visits by appointment rather than fixed open days, which can suit families who want a quieter, more individual look around.

Wraparound care details (breakfast club or paid after-school care) are not clearly published on the main pages reviewed here. The school does publish a range of after-school clubs, many running straight after the school day.

For travel, Formby is the nearest rail hub for most families using trains, with Merseytravel publishing station access information.

• Faith criteria are meaningful. If you want your application considered under Catholic criteria, you will need to follow the supplementary form process, and baptism and parish links sit high in the oversubscription order. This is not a school where faith is a light-touch label.

• Places are limited. With 30 places and 60 applications in the 2024 primary entry route, competition can be a defining factor, even before distance is considered.

• Outdoor learning is central. Beach School happens routinely and for all pupils. Many children will love it; a small minority who strongly dislike outdoor conditions may need reassurance and gradual confidence-building.

St Jerome’s Catholic Primary School combines strong academic outcomes with a distinctive, place-based curriculum that uses the local coastline as a genuine teaching resource. It will suit families who want a clearly Catholic setting, high expectations, and a school culture that values reading, responsibility, and learning beyond the classroom. The main constraint is admission, places are limited and demand is evident.