St Bede's Catholic Infant School
Leigh Avenue, Widnes, WA8 6EL
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 5 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Headteacher
- Miss Jacqueline Coughlan
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Liverpool
- Constituency
- Widnes and Halewood
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 225
- Pupils on roll
- 223
- URN
- 111372
- Local authority
- Halton
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01514243112
About this school
St Bede's Catholic Infant School is a Roman Catholic voluntary aided primary school in Widnes. It teaches children aged 5 to 7 and has 223 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Outstanding
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- Early years
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How St Bede's Catholic Infant School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.2% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 229 |
| 2023/24 | 227 |
| 2024/25 | 226 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St Bede's Catholic Infant School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 79% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 4.2% | 22.1% | 223 | — |
| St Bede's Catholic Junior School | 62% | 4.4% | 30.9% | 306 | 0.0 miles |
| Kingsway Primary Academy School | 52% | 9.1% | 76.6% | 214 | 0.3 miles |
| Fairfield Primary School | 68% | 4.4% | 34.3% | 582 | 0.4 miles |
| St Gerard's Catholic Primary and Nursery School | 77% | 5.4% | 50.5% | 236 | 0.6 miles |
| Ditton Primary School | 54% | 7.2% | 50% | 322 | 0.8 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 22.12%
- English as an additional language
- 3.1%
- Overall absence
- 4.2%
- Persistent absence
- 10.19%
Location
Nearby schools
-
St Bede's Catholic Junior School0.0 miles
Primary · Widnes
-
Kingsway Primary Academy School0.3 miles
Primary · Widnes
-
Fairfield Primary School0.4 miles
Primary · Widnes
-
St Gerard's Catholic Primary and Nursery School0.6 miles
Primary · Widnes
-
Ditton Primary School0.8 miles
Primary · Widnes
Other schools in Widnes
- All Saints Upton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Cronton Church of England Primary Academy Primary
- Ditton Primary School Primary
- Fairfield Primary School Primary
- Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School Primary
- Halebank CofE Primary School Primary
- Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery Primary
- Kingsway Primary Academy School Primary
- Lunts Heath Primary School Primary
- Moorfield Primary School Primary
- Oakfield Community Primary School Primary
- Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does St Bede's Catholic Infant School teach?
- St Bede's Catholic Infant School teaches children aged 5 to 7. It is a primary school in Widnes.
- Who is the headteacher of St Bede's Catholic Infant School?
- The headteacher of St Bede's Catholic Infant School is Miss Jacqueline Coughlan, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was St Bede's Catholic Infant School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St Bede's Catholic Infant School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is St Bede's Catholic Infant School?
- St Bede's Catholic Infant School has 223 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 7.
- Is St Bede's Catholic Infant School full?
- St Bede's Catholic Infant School has capacity for 225 pupils and 223 on roll (99%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Bede's Catholic Infant School a faith school?
- Yes. St Bede's Catholic Infant School is designated Roman Catholic, in the Archdiocese of Liverpool.
- Does St Bede's Catholic Infant School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records St Bede's Catholic Infant School as having no nursery classes.
- What is St Bede's Catholic Infant School's absence rate?
- St Bede's Catholic Infant School's overall absence rate is 4.2% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does St Bede's Catholic Infant School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for St Bede's Catholic Infant School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.