Holme Slack Community Primary School, Preston

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades Holme Slack Community Primary School on 7 areas: 5 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The school's curriculum is ambitious, broad and balanced."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children benefit from carefully tailored support from well‑trained staff who understand the different stages of children's development."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Teachers know how to identify any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that pupils may have."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear understanding of the challenges pupils face at the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have carefully considered the support pupils need to develop personally and socially."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Some pupils at the school do not achieve as well as they should, particularly in reading and writing."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Rates of pupils' attendance are well below national averages."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should ensure that pupils develop sufficient fluency and stamina in reading and writing, so that they are securely prepared for the next stages of their education. • Leaders should ensure that teachers prioritise the most important knowledge and skills pupils need to learn, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so that all pupils achieve as well as they can. • Leaders should act swiftly to identify and address emerging patterns of weaker attendance, so that pupils attend regularly and benefit fully from their education".

In its own words: "Our ethos can be summed up in the simple statement in our belief that... And by working in partnership, we aim high in order for all pupils to achieve their best at all times."

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:50am and after-school care, from £10 per day.

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at Holme Slack Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 45% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.

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

For September 2026 entry, 20 families put Holme Slack Community Primary School as their first choice and 34 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Holme Slack Community Primary School are St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Preston (0.3 miles, Good, 86% reading, 90% maths); Ribbleton Avenue Methodist Junior School (0.6 miles, Good, 70% reading, 58% maths); Deepdale Community Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 70% reading, 75% maths); and Ribbleton Avenue Infant School (0.6 miles, Outstanding).

Holme Slack Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

18 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Holme Slack Community Primary School (as of April 2026): 83% would recommend the school, 83% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

53.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 44.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (53%), Asian (24%) and Mixed (9%).

In 2026, 59 pupils (29.6%) received SEN support and 7 (3.5%) 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.

Holme Slack Community Primary School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment: 6 places, 4 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Preston Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fenton Road (by), 170 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Holme Slack Community Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 369 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Holme Slack Community Primary School issued 9 suspensions, 4.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Holme Slack Community Primary School are Moor Park High School (0.6 miles), Preston Muslim Girls High School (0.7 miles), Archbishop Temple Church of England High School (1 mile) and Lancashire Education Medical Services (1.3 miles).