Bowerham Primary & Nursery School, Lancaster

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~419m)Possible (~598m)Unlikely (~777m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Jo Banks
Pupils:498 / 532 capacity
LA:Lancashire
Phone:0152463999
Address:Bowerham Road, Lancaster, LA1 4BS
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 8 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Strong Standard
Behaviour
Strong Standard
Personal Development
Strong Standard
Leadership
Strong Standard
Early Years
Strong Standard
Inspected 20 January 2026View full report
URN:119129
UKPRN:10069502
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Lancaster and Wyre
Urban/Rural:Urban: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Bowerham is a warm, nurturing school where every child matters. Teachers know pupils exceptionally well and adapt their teaching brilliantly to help all learners succeed, from the youngest children in nursery through to Year 6. The school goes the extra mile to support disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs, ensuring they access the same rich curriculum and wider experiences as their peers.

Key Strengths

  • Exceptional early years provision with expert teaching and language development support
  • Highly inclusive culture with swift identification of needs and targeted, effective support
  • Consistently high pupil behaviour and attendance with strong pastoral care
  • Well-taught phonics and mathematics foundations
  • Rich curriculum with meaningful learning experiences tailored to all pupils' starting points

Areas for Improvement

  • Minor inconsistencies in pupils' spelling and handwriting skills across some curriculum subjects (though leaders are acting quickly to address this)

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Musical theatre, gardening, ecology groups, sport leadership, art groups, science and technology groups, fundraising projects, environmental work, fishing trips

Bowerham Primary & Nursery School is a strong performing school that maintains high standards across all areas. The school has created an ambitious, inclusive culture where all pupils, particularly those with additional needs or disadvantages, thrive academically and personally.

At a Glance

14.8%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+11ppMaths+9ppWriting-8pp

Reading has improved from 72% to 83%. Maths has improved from 58% to 67%. Writing has declined from 82% to 74%.

Class Sizes

29.9

Avg class size

30.0

Infant (KS1)

29.7

KS2

15

Total classes

3 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Malvern Avenue (opp)
95m · 2 min walk
Park Hotel (by)
152m · 2 min walk
Greaves Park (by)
230m · 4 min walk
Eastham Street (opp)
269m · 4 min walk
Sulby Drive (opp)
276m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

94%

Near capacity

498 pupils

532 capacity

34 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Lancaster

Low pressure
New homes approved:972
Projected new pupils:243

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Lancaster

Admissions Demand - Lancashire

Low demand0.77x oversubscription

Places available

15,664

Applications

12,136

Got 1st preference

93.0%

Got preferred school

98.8%

Primary admissions across Lancashire (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

20 January 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
21 September 2021
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsOutstanding
30 January 2018

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.58779%

Overall absence

5.97826%

Persistent absence

368

Enrolments

Authorised2.62586%
Unauthorised0.96193%
Persistent (10%+)5.97826%
Severe (50%+)0.54348%

Absence trend

3.42276%
18/19
6.9117%
20/21
3.89118%
21/22
4.29155%
22/23
4.29962%
23/24
3.58779%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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