Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School, Chorley
Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Chorley. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 16th-highest of the 40 schools in Chorley with published results, and 5,291st of 14,452 across England. It was 84% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 85% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 86% in reading and 86% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 19 families put Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 18 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School are Eccleston St Mary's Church of England Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 70% reading, 93% maths); Christ Church Charnock Richard CofE Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 92% reading, 92% maths); Wrightington Mossy Lea Primary School (1.4 miles, Good); and St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, Coppull (1.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 71% maths).
Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Eccleston St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolChrist Church Charnock Richard CofE Primary SchoolWrightington Mossy Lea Primary SchoolSt Oswald's Catholic Primary School, Coppull
What parents say
43 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 82% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (82%).
Who goes there
5.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 6 pupils (5.8%) received SEN support and 1 (1%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Euxton Balshaw Lane Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Village Hall (opposite), 280 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 10 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, burglary and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
Suspensions and exclusions
Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA 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 November 2013, 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 March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a caring school where children are well-behaved, respectful and feel safe. Your child will benefit from strong teaching in reading and writing, and excellent support if they have any additional needs. The school also offers a wonderful range of enrichment activities and teaches children important values like empathy and kindness through charitable work.
Key Strengths
- Strong behaviour and positive attitudes to learning across the school - learning is rarely interrupted
- Excellent early reading and phonics teaching in Reception and Key Stage 1 - pupils become confident and fluent readers
- Well-designed curriculum with good support for pupils with SEND through effective training and well-chosen resources
- Effective systems for identifying and supporting pupils' needs, with timely intervention to address gaps
- Rich personal development opportunities including healthy relationships and online safety education
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils do not learn as well as they could in a small number of foundation subjects because activities do not focus sufficiently on key curriculum knowledge
- Some pupils have gaps in knowledge from previous curriculum weaknesses that have not yet been identified and addressed
- Teachers need better support to design learning activities that sufficiently cover key curriculum content in foundation subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with clear procedures in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Storytelling, jujitsu, fencing, charitable fund-raising
Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School is a good school where pupils behave well, feel safe and happy, and achieve across much of the curriculum. The school has high expectations and provides a broad range of learning opportunities including clubs and charitable activities.
At a Glance
5.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
43 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 86% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 85% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 69% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.8
Avg class size
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School
Term dates
Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA 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 Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA 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 Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School
Will you get a place at Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA 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 Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA 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
84%
Available places
88 pupils
105 places
17 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
6
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
6.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
103
Total Pupils
33
Boys
70
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
20.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,680
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,953
Per pupil
£565k
Total funding
£6k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
7.9%
Persistent absence
76
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School
What are SATs results like at Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School?
Of the pupils at Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 85% did so in maths.
What is Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA 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 Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School?
Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School?
Classes at Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School average 25.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School?
Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School has around 103 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School in 2024/25. 7.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA 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.
How many road collisions happen near Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA 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 Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School?
Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School is at Withington Lane, Heskin, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 5LU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)