Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School, Chorley
Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Chorley. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 35th-highest of the 40 schools in Chorley with published results, and 12,831st of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School in detail
Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Please find below our school policies. Please do note, that although every effort is made to keep these policies up to date, it may be that a more current policy is available from the school office, or clerk to the Governing Body."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils at Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 68% 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 83% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 87 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 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 Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School are Clayton-le-Woods Manor Road Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 89% reading, 81% maths); St Bede's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 85% reading, 77% maths); Westwood Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 75% reading, 56% maths); and Lancaster Lane Primary and Pre-School (0.8 miles, Good, 80% reading, 77% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School.
Clayton-le-Woods Manor Road Primary SchoolSt Bede's Catholic Primary SchoolWestwood Primary SchoolLancaster Lane Primary and Pre-School
What parents say
71 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Who goes there
4.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 23 pupils (10.5%) received SEN support and 11 (5%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leyland Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Back Lane (by), 190 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 1.4 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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2019, 6 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a caring, inclusive environment where children are happy and valued. It has a strong curriculum that builds on prior learning, and almost all children become confident readers early on. The school offers excellent support for pupils with SEND and plenty of opportunities for children to develop their interests through clubs, sporting activities and positions of responsibility.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading from Nursery onwards - almost all pupils are fluent readers by end of Year 1
- Ambitious, well-designed curriculum that flows seamlessly from early years to Year 6
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND, enabling them to follow the full curriculum alongside their peers
- Positive behaviour and attitudes developed from early years, with pupils taking responsibilities seriously
- Wide range of sporting, artistic and cultural activities available outside lesson time
Areas for Improvement
- Some teachers do not identify and address misconceptions and gaps in pupils' writing skills effectively enough
- As a result, some pupils make the same spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes repeatedly
- Weaknesses in writing skills sometimes hinder pupils' written communication across other subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Sporting activities, artistic activities, cultural activities, Mindfulness Mondays, librarian roles, guardian angels program, woodland area activities, school council, prefect positions
Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School has maintained its good standards since the previous inspection. Pupils are happy, polite and valued in this caring school where high expectations and a rigorous curriculum help most children achieve well.
At a Glance
4.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
71 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 declined from 83% to 53% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 83% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 66% to 53% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.0
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School
Newsletter 02.10.26
2 Oct 2026
Newsletter 25.9.26
25 Sep 2026
Newsletter 18.09.26
18 Sep 2026
Newsletter 11.09.26
11 Sep 2026
Newsletter 04.09.26
4 Sep 2026
Newsletter 17/07/26
17 Jul 2026
From Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Lancashire
Term dates
Clayton-le-Woods 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 Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Clayton-le-Woods 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.
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 Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Clayton-le-Woods 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 Clayton-le-Woods 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
93%
Near capacity
196 pupils
210 places
14 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chorley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chorley
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(9)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
15.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
219
Total Pupils
109
Boys
110
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
18.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,117
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,234
Per pupil
£1097k
Total funding
£18k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
11.7%
Persistent absence
171
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 53% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Clayton-le-Woods 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 Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School?
Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School average 27 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School?
Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School has around 219 pupils on roll. 5% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 11.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Clayton-le-Woods 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 Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Clayton-le-Woods 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. 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 Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School?
Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School is at Back Lane, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Lancashire, PR6 7EU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)