Clitheroe Brookside Primary School, Clitheroe

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Clitheroe Brookside Primary School on 7 areas: 1 expected standard and 6 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Early years - Expected standard. "Children get off to a positive start to their schooling in Reception class."

Achievement - Needs attention. "While pupils make progress over time and achieve well in some aspects of their learning, they do not achieve as well as they could."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "While leaders have taken effective action to improve pupils' behaviour, there is not a consistent positive behaviour culture in the school."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "While leaders have taken effective action to strengthen the curriculum and teaching, these changes are in their infancy and are not embedded."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders have strengthened the school's processes to identify the needs of pupils who face barriers to their learning and wellbeing."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "While governors provide support and some challenge to leaders, their processes to check the quality of some aspects of the school's work needs further development."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Leaders have recently made significant changes to the curriculum to improve pupils' personal development and wellbeing."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that staff use assessment effectively to inform teaching and to address gaps in pupils' knowledge so that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve well"; "Leaders should ensure that activities match pupils' next steps in learning and effectively reduce any barriers to learning they face, so that they can build on their learning securely"; "Leaders should continue to improve the culture of pupils' behaviour so that expectations are consistently clear and pupils develop independent strategies to maintain focus and build effective relationships"; "Governors should develop their approaches towards checking the quality of the school's work, so that they have a precise picture of the impact of leaders' actions"; "Leaders should ensure that the personal development programme has the impact they intend, so that pupils develop the knowledge they need, including in their understanding of fundamental British values".

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football and choir.

The school runs after-school care.

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils at Clitheroe Brookside Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 60% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 48% in reading and 37% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 8 families put Clitheroe Brookside Primary School as their first choice and 23 named it as one of their preferences, for 8 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Clitheroe Brookside Primary School are Clitheroe Pendle Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 90% reading, 80% maths); St Michael and St John's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.4 miles); St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe (0.6 miles, Good, 73% reading, 64% maths); and Edisford Primary School (1 mile, Good, 86% reading, 86% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Clitheroe Brookside Primary School.

9.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (77%), Mixed (8%) and Asian (7%).

Clitheroe Brookside Primary School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 27 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Clitheroe Rail Station, about 770 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Duck Street (opposite), 330 metres away.

In 2024/25, Clitheroe Brookside Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 3.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Clitheroe Brookside Primary School are Clitheroe Royal Grammar School (0.3 miles) and Ribblesdale School (0.5 miles).