Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School, Preston

Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~2.4km)Possible (~3.4km)Unlikely (~4.5km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Rebecca Scholz
Pupils:39 / 60 capacity
LA:Lancashire
Phone:01995603016
Address:Calder Vale, Garstang, Preston, PR3 1SR
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 6 months ago

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

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Inspected 24 March 2026View full report
URN:119518
UKPRN:10072060
Diocese:Diocese of Blackburn
Constituency:Lancaster and Wyre
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This is a welcoming small school where staff get to know pupils thoroughly and quickly identify individual needs. Teachers provide excellent support for pupils with additional needs, and the whole school community is kind and respectful. Pupils progress well from their individual starting points and enjoy positive relationships with staff who support their learning every step of the way.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils achieve well in English and mathematics with high quality written work
  • Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with effective adaptations and expert guidance
  • Positive behaviour and attendance with effective systems to remove barriers, including a school minibus service
  • Caring school culture where pupils develop respect for differences and high levels of compassion
  • Staff wellbeing is prioritised with manageable workloads and appropriate professional development

Areas for Improvement

  • Some approaches to evaluating the curriculum and quality of teaching lack sufficient rigour to provide detailed information
  • Leaders' evaluation of support for disadvantaged pupils is not fully rigorous enough to identify precise areas for refinement
  • The variety of extracurricular activities has recently been narrower than pupils would prefer, limiting opportunities to explore interests and talents

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Table tennis, dodgeball, school council roles, monitor duties, charity work, local community letter writing project, visits from local artists and history workshop leaders

Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School is a caring small school where pupils achieve well and develop secure knowledge across the curriculum. Leaders and staff create a harmonious environment where pupils with additional needs are well supported and thrive.

At a Glance

27.0%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2024/25

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

Reading17%
Maths33%
Writing0%

2024/25 academic year

Class Sizes

16.5

Avg class size

2

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

St Johns School (o/s)
38m · 1 min walk
Moorcock Inn (o/s)
820m · 13 min walk
Burnside Avenue (opp)
981m · 16 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

65%

Available places

39 pupils

60 capacity

21 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Preston

Low pressure
New homes approved:3,777
Projected new pupils:944

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Preston

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)

24 March 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
1 December 2021
30 November 2016

House Prices

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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

6.99558%

Overall absence

25%

Persistent absence

32

Enrolments

Authorised5.74374%
Unauthorised1.25184%
Persistent (10%+)25%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

3.71667%
18/19
6.31266%
20/21
6.974%
21/22
10.86219%
22/23
9.04814%
23/24
6.99558%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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