St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 2 to 11
Ofsted judgements: Good

Blakehall, Skelmersdale, WN8 9AZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School is a primary school in Skelmersdale for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 692 schools in Lancashire. It ranks 18th of 18 primary schools in Skelmersdale. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 8 October 2024, report published 21 November 2024

This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.

Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 October 2024

St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School is warm, caring and welcoming to all. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. Pupils are happy and feel safe and supported in school. Pupils, including children in the early years, have positive attitudes to their learning. They are keen to learn and achieve well. The school has fostered the development of pupils in line with their vision to 'build and share together'. Pupils behave well across the school. As a result, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere. Pupils are attentive and care for and support each other. They respond well to staff's requests and direction. Pupils are aware of who they can talk to if they have a concern. Pupils benefit from the school's well-resourced outdoor environment and playing field. This helps to stimulate their engagement and learning. Older pupils have additional responsibilities and value these opportunities. These roles include 'lunch-time support' and 'well-being champions'.

What the school should improve

  • In a few subjects, the school has not clearly identified the important blocks of knowledge, vocabulary and skills that pupils should learn and when they should learn it. This means that pupils do not learn as well as they could and struggle to retain and recall some aspects of their learning. The school should define the key subject content more precisely in these subjects so that pupils' learning builds securely over time.
  • In some subjects, there are gaps in teachers' subject-specific knowledge. At times, this means that teachers do not deliver the curriculum as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the appropriate subject knowledge to support pupils to achieve well in all subjects.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

30 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths7%

7%, 55 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths0%

0%, 8 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score99

99, 7 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score95

95, 10 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score98

98, 7 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

145 pupils on roll, with places for 330

Eligible for free school meals44.8%

44.8%, 18.3 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language23.4%

23.4%, 1.8 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support13.1%

13.1%, 1.7 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan6.9%

6.9%, 0.9 percentage points above the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Bishop Martin Church of England Primary School0.2 milesOfsted: Good65% met the expected standard
Hillside Community Primary School0.4 milesOfsted: Good52% met the expected standard
Little Digmoor Primary School0.4 milesOfsted judgements: Requires improvement to good32% met the expected standard
Moorside Community Primary Academy School0.4 milesOfsted: Good59% met the expected standard
Delph Side Community Primary School0.5 milesOfsted judgements: Good to outstanding73% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Voluntary aided school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
2 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Mrs Ann Naylor
Address
Blakehall, Skelmersdale, WN8 9AZ
Local authority
Lancashire
URN
134598

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.