Lea Community Primary School, Preston
Lea Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Preston. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 65th-highest of the 106 schools in Preston with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was 64% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
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
Lea Community Primary School in detail
Lea Community Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at Lea 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 68% in reading and 65% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Lea Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 33 families put Lea Community Primary School as their first choice and 98 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Lea Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lea Community Primary School are St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Preston (0.3 miles, 68% reading, 87% maths); Ashton Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 62% reading, 62% maths); Ashton-on-Ribble St Andrew's Church of England Primary School (0.9 miles, Outstanding, 80% reading, 82% maths); and Ingol Community Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 80% reading, 80% maths).
Lea Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, PrestonAshton Primary SchoolAshton-on-Ribble St Andrew's Church of England Primary SchoolIngol Community Primary School
What parents say
74 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lea Community Primary School (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 72% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (72%).
Who goes there
36.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 43 pupils (14.8%) received SEN support and 7 (2.4%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Preston Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Primary School (opposite), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lea Community Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lea Community Primary School issued 20 suspensions, 7.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Lea Community Primary School are Ashton Community Science College (0.5 miles) and Penwortham Priory Academy (1.3 miles).
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
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2016, 10 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
Lea Community Primary School creates a warm, supportive environment where children feel happy and cared for. The school places strong emphasis on reading and provides excellent support for children who need extra help, particularly those with additional needs. Pupils are ambitious learners who receive a rich, broad curriculum with plenty of opportunities to develop confidence through trips, sports, music, and other activities.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with engaging spaces and effective phonics programme that helps all pupils become fluent readers
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND - needs identified quickly in early years with sharp focus on communication and vocabulary development
- Ambitious curriculum across all subjects from early years to Year 6, with pupils achieving well
- Positive behaviour and attitudes - pupils respond well to high expectations and feel happy and safe at school
- Staff well-being and workload are valued by the school with good opportunities for professional development
Areas for Improvement
- Sometimes learning activities don't provide enough opportunity for pupils to develop secure understanding of important knowledge before moving to new topics
- In some recently improved subject curriculums, pupils have had fewer chances to revisit and strengthen their learning
- Mathematics attainment in 2024 multiplication tables check was significantly below national average, though recent steps to improve the maths curriculum are showing results
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective with strong safeguarding culture and clear processes in place.
Extracurricular Activities
Residential trips, sporting competitions, musical events, cooking club, art club, dance club, school council, eco council, prefect roles
Lea Community Primary School is a Good school where pupils are proud to attend and benefit from a warm, caring environment with positive relationships. The school has made considerable improvements to its curriculum and successfully supports pupils with additional needs.
At a Glance
36.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
74 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 improved from 68% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 65% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 58% to 69% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.0
Avg class size
25.2
Infant (KS1)
32.8
KS2
10
Total classes
6 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Lea Community Primary School
EYFS 2027 Parents
23 Sep 2026
Changes to FSM 2026
7 May 2026
Parking
29 Apr 2026
Free School Meals Reminder
29 Apr 2026
Coffee morning - dates for your diary!
5 Feb 2026
Parking
28 Jan 2026
From Lea Community Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Lea Community Primary School
Term dates
Lea Community Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Lancashire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lea Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lea Community 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
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 14 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 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 Lea Community Primary School
Will you get a place at Lea Community Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lea Community Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lea Community Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lea Community 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 Lea Community 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
64%
Available places
268 pupils
420 places
152 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Preston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Preston
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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
43
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
17.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
290
Total Pupils
144
Boys
146
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
22.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,434
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,682
Per pupil
£1714k
Total funding
£127k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.7%
Overall absence
18.1%
Persistent absence
227
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Lea Community Primary School
Questions parents ask about Lea Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Lea Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Lea Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is Lea Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Lea Community Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Lea Community Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Lea Community 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 Lea Community Primary School?
Lea Community Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 64% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Lea Community Primary School?
Classes at Lea Community Primary School average 29 pupils (2025/26). 6 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Lea Community Primary School?
Lea Community Primary School has around 290 pupils on roll. 36% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lea Community Primary School?
7.7% of sessions were missed at Lea Community Primary School in 2024/25. 18.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lea Community Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Lea Community 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.
What are Lea Community Primary School's term dates?
Lea Community Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Lancashire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Lea Community Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 14 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 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 Lea Community Primary School?
Lea Community Primary School is at Greavestown Lane, Lea, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 1PD.
Sources: Lancashire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)