Find the best primary schools in Halton. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Halton has 50 primary schools, all in Halton council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 50, 21 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Halton primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| St Bede's Catholic Infant School | Roman Catholic | 4.8 / 5 |
| Lunts Heath Primary School | Mixed | 4.6 / 5 |
| Moorfield Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Castle View Primary School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| St Clement's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.3 / 5 |
| Daresbury Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Windmill Hill Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Fairfield Primary School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
There are 50 primary schools in Halton. Of those, 1 is an all-through school, teaching both primary and secondary years.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 50 primary schools in Halton, 21 have a religious character: 13 Roman Catholic and 8 Church of England. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are St Bede's Catholic Infant School (4.8), Lunts Heath Primary School (4.6), Moorfield Primary School (4.5), Castle View Primary School (4.4) and St Clement's Catholic Primary School (4.3). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 50 schools here, 49 have enough published data for a rating.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
| Hale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School |
| Church of England |
| 4.0 / 5 |
| Moore Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| St Gerard's Catholic Primary and Nursery School | Roman Catholic | 4.0 / 5 |
| St Michaels Catholic Primary & Nursery School | Roman Catholic | 4.0 / 5 |
| Beechwood Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| St John Fisher Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.9 / 5 |
| St Michael with St Thomas CE Primary School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| Pewithall School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Our Lady Mother of the Saviour Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.8 / 5 |
| Palace Fields Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.7 / 5 |
| Gorsewood Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Woodside Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| St Bede's Catholic Junior School | Roman Catholic | 3.6 / 5 |
| All Saints Upton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Ditton Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Brookvale Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| St Basil's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.5 / 5 |
| Hillview Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Murdishaw West Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy | Roman Catholic | 3.5 / 5 |
| St Martin's Catholic Primary School and Preschool | Roman Catholic | 3.4 / 5 |
| Westfield Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Kingsway Primary Academy School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Weston Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Victoria Road Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Widnes Academy | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Oakfield Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| The Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.1 / 5 |
| Halebank CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.0 / 5 |
| Runcorn All Saints CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.0 / 5 |
| Weston Point Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| The Grange School | all-through | 3.0 / 5 |
| The Brow Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Astmoor Primary School | Mixed | 2.8 / 5 |
| Halton Lodge Nursery & Primary School | Mixed | 2.8 / 5 |
| St Edward's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 2.8 / 5 |
| Bridgewater Park Primary School | Mixed | 2.6 / 5 |
| St Mary's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.5 / 5 |
| Hallwood Park Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 2.4 / 5 |
| St Berteline's CofE Primary School | Church of England | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.