Catforth Primary School, Preston
Catforth Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Preston. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 72nd-highest of the 106 schools in Preston with published results, and 9,982nd of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than 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
Catforth Primary School in detail
Catforth Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Catforth Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 93% in reading and 79% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Catforth Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Catforth Primary School as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 13 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Catforth Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Catforth Primary School are Woodplumpton St Anne's CofE Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 88% reading, 81% maths); St Mary and St Andrew's Catholic Primary School, Barton Newsham (2 miles); Inskip St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Aided School (2.1 miles, Good, 77% reading, 69% maths); and Lea Neeld's Endowed Church of England Primary School (2.3 miles, Good, 75% reading, 80% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Catforth Primary School.
Woodplumpton St Anne's CofE Primary SchoolSt Mary and St Andrew's Catholic Primary School, Barton NewshamInskip St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Aided SchoolLea Neeld's Endowed Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
15% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 13 pupils (13%) received SEN support and 3 (3%) 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.
Staffing
Catforth Primary School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Salwick Rail Station, about 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Primary School (by), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 5 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, burglary and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Catforth Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 1.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from September 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2018 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
15.0%
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 93% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 79% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 86% to 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.3
Avg class size
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Catforth Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Catforth Primary School.
- PALS-Catforth Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Catforth Primary School is a community 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 Catforth Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Catforth Primary School 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
- 0
- 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, 0 serious and 1 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 Catforth Primary School
Will you get a place at Catforth Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Catforth Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Catforth Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Catforth Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Catforth Primary School 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
99%
Near capacity
90 pupils
91 places
1 spare place in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Preston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Preston
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
13
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
16.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
100
Total Pupils
46
Boys
54
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
16.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,408
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,789
Per pupil
£682k
Total funding
£21k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
10.0%
Persistent absence
80
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Catforth Primary School
What are SATs results like at Catforth Primary School?
Of the pupils at Catforth Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is Catforth Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Catforth Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Catforth Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Catforth Primary School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Catforth Primary School?
Catforth Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Catforth Primary School?
Classes at Catforth Primary School average 25.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Catforth Primary School?
Catforth Primary School has around 100 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Catforth Primary School?
3.9% of sessions were missed at Catforth Primary School in 2024/25. 10% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Catforth Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Catforth Primary School 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.
Does Catforth Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: PALS-Catforth Primary School (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Catforth Primary School's term dates?
Catforth Primary School is a community 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 Catforth Primary School?
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, 0 serious and 1 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 Catforth Primary School?
Catforth Primary School is at School Lane, Catforth, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 0HL.
Sources: Lancashire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)