Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery, Ormskirk
Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Ormskirk. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 20th-highest of the 22 schools in Ormskirk with published results, and 13,336th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.4 first-choice applications for every place. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery in detail
Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery in its own words
In its own words: "'Rooted in God's love, all our children are given the tools to Love, Serve and Grow. Through the high quality teaching, each child is supported, in order to live life in all its fullness.' Hello and welcome to Bickerstaffe C.E. School."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 57% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 83% in reading and 75% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 22 families put Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 9 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery are St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale (1.9 miles, Outstanding, 64% reading, 75% maths); Brookfield Park Primary School (2.2 miles, Requires improvement, 81% reading, 86% maths); Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School (2.2 miles, Outstanding, 83% reading, 100% maths); and Trinity Church of England/Methodist School (2.4 miles, Good, 59% reading, 59% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery.
St Richard's Catholic Primary School, SkelmersdaleBrookfield Park Primary SchoolWesthead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary SchoolTrinity Church of England/Methodist School
Who goes there
1.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 20 pupils (22.2%) received SEN support and 7 (7.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rainford Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Primary School (opposite), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often criminal damage and arson and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery issued 7 suspensions, 7.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
30.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 83% to 57% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 75% to 57% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 83% to 64% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.0
Avg class size
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery
Term dates
Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Lancashire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery
Will you get a place at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lancashire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
98 pupils
105 places
7 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ormskirk
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ormskirk
Across Lancashire council
Places available
15,442
Applications
12,122
Got 1st preference
91.3%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
20
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
30.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
90
Total Pupils
41
Boys
49
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,741
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,839
Per pupil
£780k
Total funding
£53k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.2%
Overall absence
23.9%
Persistent absence
88
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery
What are SATs results like at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Of the pupils at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 57% reached the expected standard in reading and 57% did so in maths.
What is Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024.
What is the catchment area for Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Classes at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery average 27 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery has around 90 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery?
7.2% of sessions were missed at Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery in 2024/25. 23.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery's term dates?
Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Lancashire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Bickerstaffe CofE Primary School and Nursery is at Hall Lane, Bickerstaffe, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 0EH.
Sources: Lancashire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)