Parents will find out next month if their children will receive a place at their first-choice primary school in the school year starting in September 2023.
Figures from Ofsted show there are 2,415 state-funded primary schools - or 15% - currently holding the highest possible rating following their last inspection, including 62 in Merseyside (8%).
But it has been several years since many of the schools were graded - in some cases up to 17 years ago - mainly because outstanding primary and secondary schools were exempt from routine inspection between 2012 and 2020.
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Visits to schools from Ofsted inspectors were then paused for 18 months during the pandemic, but since routine inspections have resumed, Ofsted says it has inspected 370 formerly exempt primary and secondary schools and found that 83% were no longer “outstanding”.
Of previously exempt “outstanding” primary schools that have been inspected since the pandemic, Ofsted said it prioritised those that have gone longest without inspection, an average of 13 years.
It says very few of these were graded under the latest inspection framework that 'raised the bar' for an outstanding classification.
Ofsted said: “As a result, they are not typical of all exempt schools, and the pattern of inspection outcomes may change later. We will therefore continue this programme and will inspect all previously exempt outstanding schools by the end of July 2025."
Below is the full list of 62 outstanding primary schools in Merseyside along with when they were last inspected.
Florence Melly Community Primary School // Liverpool // L4 9UA // 21/07/2019
Mersey Park Primary School // Wirral // CH42 0PH // 17/04/2019
St Mary & St Thomas' CofE Primary School // St Helens // WA10 2HS // 20/03/2019
Knowsley Lane Primary School // Knowsley // L36 8DB // 13/02/2019
St Silas Church of England Primary School // Liverpool // L8 3TP // 18/01/2018
Whitefield Primary School // Liverpool // L6 2HZ // 29/12/2017
Garswood Primary and Nursery School // St Helens // WN4 0SF // 12/09/2017
Grange Valley Primary School // St Helens // WA11 0XQ // 10/01/2017
St Andrew's CofE Aided Primary School // Wirral // CH63 7NL // 01/04/2016
Parish Church of England Primary School, St Helens // St Helens // WA10 1LW // 12/02/2016
St John's Catholic Primary School // Liverpool // L4 1UN // 05/02/2016
Irby Primary School // Wirral // CH61 4UR // 18/12/2015
All Saints' Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School // Liverpool // L4 2QG // 01/07/2015
St Sebastian's Catholic Primary School and Nursery // Liverpool // L7 0LH // 04/03/2015
Eccleston Lane Ends Primary School // St Helens // L34 2QN // 05/02/2015
New Park Primary School // Liverpool // L6 9EU // 27/01/2015
Gilmour (Southbank) Infant School // Liverpool // L19 9AR // 03/12/2014
St Francis de Sales Catholic Infant and Nursery School // Liverpool // L4 3RX // 03/12/2014
Nutgrove Methodist Primary School // St Helens // WA9 5NH // 16/09/2014
St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School // St Helens // WA11 9AT // 23/07/2014
St Monica's Catholic Primary School // Sefton // L20 9EB // 03/04/2014
Windsor Community Primary School // Liverpool // L8 8JE // 28/03/2014
The Beacon Church of England Primary School // Liverpool // L5 3QG // 20/03/2014
Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School // Sefton // L10 6NJ // 03/03/2014
St Ann's Church of England Primary School // St Helens // L35 0LQ // 20/02/2014
Booker Avenue Infant School // Liverpool // L18 9SB // 05/02/2014
St Peter's CofE Primary School // St Helens // WA12 9UR // 29/01/2014
Sudley Infant School // Liverpool // L17 0AE // 06/12/2013
St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary School // Knowsley // L32 0TP // 21/11/2013
St Julie's Catholic Primary School // St Helens // WA10 5HG // 12/11/2013
St Thomas Church of England Primary School, Lydiate // Sefton // L31 0BP // 09/09/2013
Freshfield Primary School // Sefton // L37 3JT // 28/06/2013
Ainsdale St John's Church of England Primary School // Sefton // PR8 3JE // 21/06/2013
St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School // Liverpool // L1 5BY // 18/06/2013
Our Lady's Bishop Eton Catholic Primary School // Liverpool // L18 2EP // 30/05/2013
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School // Sefton // L23 6TS // 16/05/2013
Childwall Church of England Primary School // Liverpool // L16 0JD // 09/05/2013
Cronton Church of England Primary Academy // Knowsley // WA8 5DF // 26/04/2013
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School // Knowsley // L36 6DS // 22/04/2013
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School // Sefton // PR9 9RR // 03/04/2013
West Kirby St Bridget's CofE Primary School // Wirral // CH48 3JT // 20/02/2013
Oakdene Primary School // St Helens // L35 0QQ // 23/11/2012
St Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary School // Sefton // L20 6ED // 03/04/2012
Thornton Hough Primary School // Wirral // CH63 1JJ // 10/01/2012
Rivington Primary School // St Helens // WA10 6LF // 07/11/2011
Liscard Primary School // Wirral // CH45 7NQ // 08/06/2011
Brackenwood Infant School // Wirral // CH63 2HN // 09/09/2010
St Matthew's Catholic Primary School // Liverpool // L4 8UA // 19/05/2010
Great Meols Primary School // Wirral // CH47 7AP // 25/02/2010
Forefield Community Infant and Nursery School // Sefton // L23 9SL // 10/07/2009
Our Lady of Pity Catholic Primary School // Wirral // CH49 1RE // 12/01/2009
Halewood Church of England Primary Academy // Knowsley // L26 6LB // 26/11/2008
Thurstaston Dawpool CofE Primary School // Wirral // CH61 0HH // 14/10/2008
Higher Bebington Junior School // Wirral // CH63 8QE // 22/07/2008
St Mary's Catholic Primary School // St Helens // WN5 7QJ // 08/07/2008
Emmaus Church of England and Catholic Primary School // Liverpool // L12 0JE // 20/03/2008
St John's Catholic Infant School // Wirral // CH63 7LH // 18/03/2008
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School // Liverpool // L8 5UX // 11/01/2008
Town Lane Infant School // Wirral // CH63 8LD // 04/12/2007
Bleak Hill Primary School // St Helens // WA10 6HG // 28/11/2006
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