Chatburn Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe
Chatburn Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Clitheroe. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 12 schools in Clitheroe with published results, and 8,950th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 114% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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
Chatburn Church of England Primary School in detail
Chatburn Church of England Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "A warm welcome to Chatburn Church of England Primary School! If you would like any more information, please don't hesitate to contact us by phone or email. "The distinctiveness and effectiveness of Chatburn as a Church of England school are outstanding."
From the headteacher's welcome: "A warm welcome to Chatburn Church of England Primary School! We believe that every child is special, unique and loved by God. Our dedicated staff have a breadth of knowledge and wealth of experience to inspire the children with exciting learning opportunities."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, hockey, cricket, athletics, badminton, multi-sports, yoga, dance and choir.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at Chatburn Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 68% in reading and 68% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Chatburn Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 15 families put Chatburn Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 54 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Chatburn Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Chatburn Church of England Primary School are Grindleton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (1 mile, Good, 29% reading, 14% maths); Clitheroe Pendle Primary School (1.8 miles, Good, 90% reading, 80% maths); Clitheroe Brookside Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 63% reading, 60% maths); and Waddington and West Bradford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (2.1 miles, Good, 66% reading, 86% maths).
Chatburn Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Grindleton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolClitheroe Pendle Primary SchoolClitheroe Brookside Primary SchoolWaddington and West Bradford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
What parents say
40 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Chatburn Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 92% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (88%).
Who goes there
9.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (10.6%) received SEN support and 5 (3.8%) 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 Clitheroe Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Village Hall (by), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 6 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
Suspensions and exclusions
Chatburn Church of England Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils, including children in the early years, are proud to belong to this warm and welcoming school. They have trusting relationships with staff and know that staff will help them if they have any worries. Pupils behave well in lessons and play happily together at social times. They enjoy supporting each other through their roles as 'well-being warriors' and play leaders. Pupils relish the opportunities that they have to read stories to younger children and to help them at mealtimes. They endeavour to live up to the school's vision for them to 'be calm, work hard and be kind'.
The school wants the very best for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In recent years, the school has developed and refined its curriculum. Pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Pupils access a broad curriculum which supports them to achieve well across all subjects. The school has considered the different needs of pupils within the mixed-age classes. This ensures that new learning consistently builds on what pupils have learned before.
In the main, the curriculum is delivered well by staff. They explain new learning clearly and use resources to support pupils' understanding. However, at times, the activities that pupils complete do not support them effectively to apply their new knowledge. This means that, for some pupils, their learning does not build securely and they struggle to remember key knowledge in the longer term.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its October 2012 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
40 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 68% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 84% to 88% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.4
Avg class size
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Chatburn Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Chatburn Church of England Primary School.
- Chatburn Pre-School and Out of School ClubAt the school · Ofsted: Good
Term dates
Chatburn Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lancashire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Chatburn Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Chatburn Church of England 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.
1 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 Chatburn Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Chatburn Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Chatburn Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Chatburn Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Chatburn Church of England 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 Chatburn Church of England 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
114%
Over capacity
128 pupils
112 places
16 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Clitheroe
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Clitheroe
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
14.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
132
Total Pupils
64
Boys
68
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
18.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,545
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,507
Per pupil
£774k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.6%
Overall absence
1.8%
Persistent absence
112
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Chatburn Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Chatburn Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Chatburn Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Chatburn Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is Chatburn Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Chatburn Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2012, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Chatburn Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Chatburn Church of England 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 Chatburn Church of England Primary School?
Chatburn Church of England Primary School was full in 2025, at 114% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Chatburn Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Chatburn Church of England Primary School average 26.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Chatburn Church of England Primary School?
Chatburn Church of England Primary School has around 132 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Chatburn Church of England Primary School?
2.6% of sessions were missed at Chatburn Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 1.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Chatburn Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Chatburn Church of England 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 Chatburn Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Chatburn Pre-School and Out of School Club (rated Good by Ofsted). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Chatburn Church of England 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. 1 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 Chatburn Church of England Primary School?
Chatburn Church of England Primary School is at Sawley Road, Chatburn, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 4AS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)