Community school · St. Helens

Merton Bank Primary School

3–11Ages
193Pupils
PrimaryPhase
104784URN

Roper Street, St Helens, WA9 1EJ · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · May 2024 Previous framework

Requires improvement

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.9per place

0.2 below St. Helens median (2.1)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in St. Helens

40 applications for 21 places · 31st of 49 in St. Helens

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

28%met the expected standard

St. Helens 62% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Requires improvement · 8 May 2024Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Good	Requires improvement
Quality of education		Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes	Good
Personal development	Good
Leadership and management	Good
Early years provision	Good

Inspection history

8 May 2024
Graded inspection: Requires improvement
4 November 2022
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Concerns)

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

1.9applications per place, Reception

0.2 below St. Helens median (2.1) 0.3 below England median (2.2)

40 applications · 21 places offered · 14 named it first

HistoryEarlier years not shown: formed from, or split from, other schools.

2026 1.9; St. Helens median median 2.1
2025 1.8; St. Helens median median 2.0
2024 1.5; St. Helens median median 1.8
2023 1.7; St. Helens median median 1.9
2022 1.9; St. Helens median median 1.9
2021 1.5; St. Helens median median 1.6
2020 1.4; St. Helens median median 1.9
2019 1.8; St. Helens median median 1.9
2018 1.6; St. Helens median median 1.8
2017 1.7; St. Helens median median 1.8
2016 1.5; St. Helens median median 2.0
2015 2.0; St. Helens median median 2.0
2014 2.0; St. Helens median median 1.9

More applications per place than the St. Helens median in 1 of 13 years.

This school
St. Helens median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	21	40	1.9	14	0.67
Sep 2025	28	50	1.8	25	0.89
Sep 2024	30	44	1.5	23	0.77
Sep 2023	30	50	1.7	29	0.97
Sep 2022	20	37	1.9	19	0.95
Sep 2021	26	38	1.5	23	0.88
Sep 2020	27	38	1.4	21	0.78
Sep 2019	25	46	1.8	25	1.00
Sep 2018	29	46	1.6	24	0.83
Sep 2017	30	51	1.7	25	0.83
Sep 2016	26	40	1.5	23	0.88
Sep 2015	24	47	2.0	21	0.88
Sep 2014	25	49	2.0	17	0.68

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 41% · Writing 62% · Maths 45% → all three 28% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard28%51st of 52 in St. Helens

St. Helens 62% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard41%

St. Helens 76% England 78%

Higher standard7%

St. Helens 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 97 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard62%

St. Helens 76% England 75%

Greater depth0%

St. Helens 13% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard45%

St. Helens 75% England 77%

Higher standard0%

St. Helens 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 98 (100 = expected standard)

This school
St. Helens median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	28%	0%	97	98
2023/24	41%	0%	101	97
2022/23	52%	0%	102	98

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Merton Bank Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Requires improvement2024

1.9applications per place 28%met the SATs standard
Parish Church of England Primary School, St Helens
0.9 km · St. Helens

2026

2.1applications per place 63%met the SATs standard
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
0.9 km · St. Helens

2026

2.2applications per place 44%met the SATs standard
Allanson Street Primary School
1.0 km · St. Helens

Remains Good2024

1.9applications per place 62%met the SATs standard
St. Mary's Blackbrook Catholic Primary School
1.1 km · St. Helens

Good2023

2.0applications per place 53%met the SATs standard
Ashurst Primary School
1.2 km · St. Helens

2026

2.6applications per place 57%met the SATs standard
St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School
1.6 km · St. Helens

Graded · no overall grade2024

1.7applications per place 61%met the SATs standard
St Mary & St Thomas CofE Primary School
1.7 km · St. Helens

Standards maintained2025

2.8applications per place 77%met the SATs standard
Broad Oak Community Primary School
1.9 km · St. Helens

Graded · no overall grade2024

1.4applications per place 57%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Community school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 104784 · 342/2068
Capacity: 236 pupils · 193 on roll
Free school meals: 51.4% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Address: Roper Street, St Helens, WA9 1EJ
Local authority: St. Helens

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources