Community school · Wirral

Barnston Primary School

4–11Ages
299Pupils
PrimaryPhase
105030URN

Sandham Grove, Heswall, Wirral, CH60 1XW · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Mar 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.2per place

0.5 above Wirral median (1.8)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Wirral

101 applications for 45 places · 15th of 74 in Wirral

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

82%met the expected standard

Wirral 56% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 3 March 2026Published 18 May 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard
Inclusion		Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching		Expected standard
Achievement		Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour		Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing		Expected standard
Early years		Expected standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance		Expected standard

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

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

3 March 2026
Report card · 7 Expected standard
1 July 2021
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good

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

2.2applications per place, Reception

0.5 above Wirral median (1.8) close to England median (2.2)

101 applications · 45 places offered · 43 named it first

2026 2.2; Wirral median median 1.8
2025 2.3; Wirral median median 1.7
2024 2.1; Wirral median median 1.6
2023 2.0; Wirral median median 1.6
2022 2.4; Wirral median median 1.6
2021 2.2; Wirral median median 1.6
2020 2.6; Wirral median median 1.6
2019 2.0; Wirral median median 1.7
2018 2.4; Wirral median median 1.8
2017 2.4; Wirral median median 1.7
2016 2.8; Wirral median median 1.8
2015 2.7; Wirral median median 1.9
2014 2.1; Wirral median median 1.9

More applications per place than the Wirral median in 13 of 13 years.

This school
Wirral 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	45	101	2.2	43	0.96
Sep 2025	35	79	2.3	31	0.89
Sep 2024	31	65	2.1	31	1.00
Sep 2023	45	92	2.0	52	1.16
Sep 2022	44	106	2.4	49	1.11
Sep 2021	45	101	2.2	50	1.11
Sep 2020	45	119	2.6	43	0.96
Sep 2019	42	82	2.0	43	1.02
Sep 2018	36	86	2.4	34	0.94
Sep 2017	45	106	2.4	50	1.11
Sep 2016	45	124	2.8	53	1.18
Sep 2015	45	123	2.7	49	1.09
Sep 2014	45	94	2.1	49	1.09

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 89% · Writing 95% · Maths 87% → all three 82% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard82%7th of 74 in Wirral

Wirral 56% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard89%

Wirral 74% England 78%

Higher standard53%

Wirral 27% England 33%

Average scaled score 109 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard95%

Wirral 68% England 75%

Greater depth42%

Wirral 6% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard87%

Wirral 70% England 77%

Higher standard39%

Wirral 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 107 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Wirral median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	82%	29%	109	107
2023/24	72%	36%	109	108
2022/23	74%	21%	108	108

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

Barnston Primary SchoolThis school
This school

2026

2.2applications per place 82%met the SATs standard
Gayton Primary School
1.4 km · Wirral

2026

3.2applications per place 82%met the SATs standard
Heswall Primary School
1.5 km · Wirral

Remains Good2022

2.6applications per place 68%met the SATs standard
Heswall St Peter's CofE Primary School
1.7 km · Wirral

Remains Good2024

2.0applications per place 70%met the SATs standard
Thornton Hough Primary School
2.1 km · Wirral

Outstanding2024

2.9applications per place 100%met the SATs standard
Pensby Primary School
2.5 km · Wirral

2026

1.9applications per place 50%met the SATs standard
Ladymount Catholic Primary School
2.7 km · Wirral

Good2024

1.5applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
Parkgate Primary School
2.9 km · Cheshire West and Chester

Remains Good2024

2.1applications per place 81%met the SATs standard
Thingwall Primary School
3.8 km · Wirral

2026

2.5applications per place 79%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: 105030 · 344/2229
Capacity: 315 pupils · 299 on roll
Free school meals: 2.3% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Sandham Grove, Heswall, Wirral, CH60 1XW
Local authority: Wirral

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