Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Ormskirk
Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Ormskirk. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. It was 29% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School in detail
Getting a place at Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 3 families put Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 6 named it as one of their preferences, for 4 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School are Halsall St Cuthbert's Church of England Primary School (1.8 miles, Outstanding, 84% reading, 100% maths); St Gregory's Catholic Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 97% reading, 86% maths); Lydiate Primary School (2.3 miles, Good, 70% reading, 67% maths); and Aughton St Michael's Church of England Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 87% reading, 74% maths).
Halsall St Cuthbert's Church of England Primary SchoolSt Gregory's Catholic Primary SchoolLydiate Primary SchoolAughton St Michael's Church of England Primary School
What parents say
14 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 80% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (80%).
Who goes there
5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 7 pupils (35%) received SEN support and 5 (25%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School had 3 teachers in 2026, one for every 5 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Town Green Rail Station, about 2.8 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Playing Field (by), 320 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often burglary and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School issued 1 suspension, 6.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from September 2014, 12 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 Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school creates a nurturing, safe environment where children thrive socially and emotionally. It has made significant improvements in reading teaching and support for pupils with additional needs. Parents are very positive about the improvements seen this year, particularly under the new headteacher's leadership since January 2025.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching and reading support that helps all pupils, including weaker readers, develop fluency and a love of books
- Excellent behaviour and personal development, with pupils treating others with thought and consideration
- Good identification and support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
- Safe, welcoming environment where pupils feel they belong and make friends easily
- Effective attendance monitoring and action on absences
Areas for Improvement
- Some curriculum subjects lack clear identification of essential knowledge, leaving pupils not as well-prepared for their next stage of education
- Leadership of some aspects of school work is less developed than others, affecting how well teachers are supported
- Governors do not have enough understanding of curriculum strengths and priorities to hold the school effectively to account
- Inconsistency in curriculum design and delivery across different subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school providing helpful training and support to staff on safeguarding matters.
This small Church of England primary school set in farmland provides a safe, happy learning environment where pupils develop good behaviour and personal skills. However, the quality of education requires improvement due to inconsistent curriculum design and leadership issues.
At a Glance
25.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
14 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
10.0
Avg class size
10.0
KS2
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided 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
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, with their latest published grades:
- The Learning Tree Children's Nursery and Pre-School - Day nursery, 1.6 milesOfsted, 10 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Explorers Lydiate - Day nursery, 1.9 milesOfsted, 28 November 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Springfield Montessori Nursery - Day nursery, 2.3 milesOfsted, 18 December 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
Term dates
Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided 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
You apply to the council where you live. Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
For 2026 entry it had 3 first choices for 4 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
29%
Available places
16 pupils
56 places
40 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the West Lancs/Scarisbrick & Downholland Primary planning area (Lancashire) will have 121 spare primary places in 2027/28. In the year groups that are short, it estimates 1 additional place needed.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(9)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
60.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
20
Total Pupils
12
Boys
8
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
3
Teachers
6.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,552
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£16,737
Per pupil
£277k
Total funding
£6k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
15.4%
Overall absence
50.0%
Persistent absence
16
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School
What is Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in September 2014, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 29% of its 56 places.
How big are the classes at Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School average 10 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School has around 20 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
15.4% of sessions were missed at Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 50% of pupils were persistently absent.
Does Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026).
How many road collisions happen near Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School is at Black-A-Moor Lane, Haskayne, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 7HX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)