Medlar-with-Wesham Church of England Primary School, Preston

Requires Improvement
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~626m)Possible (~894m)Unlikely (~1.2km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Claire Panther
Pupils:124 / 200 capacity
LA:Lancashire
Phone:01772682836
Address:Garstang Road North, Wesham, Preston, PR4 3DE
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Requires Improvement

Overall

URN:119553
UKPRN:10080225
Diocese:Diocese of Blackburn
Constituency:Fylde
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Medlar-with-Wesham provides a caring, inclusive environment where all pupils are welcomed and valued. The school offers an impressive range of enrichment activities - from sports and music to residential outdoor visits - that help pupils develop confidence, teamwork and leadership skills. Pupils enjoy coming to school, behave well, and benefit from warm, respectful relationships with staff who know them well.

Key Strengths

  • Strong personal development programme with extensive opportunities including clubs (football, choir, drama, jiu-jitsu) and residential visits
  • Effective safeguarding culture where pupils feel safe and concerns are acted upon quickly
  • Good attendance rates, particularly improved for pupils with SEND, with a calm breakfast club start
  • Warm relationships between staff and pupils with well-established routines creating a calm, orderly environment
  • Inclusive approach ensuring disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND access all school opportunities

Areas for Improvement

  • Teachers do not routinely use information about pupils' learning to identify and address gaps, particularly for older pupils
  • Persistent errors in spelling, handwriting and grammar are spotted but not addressed quickly enough
  • Some activities are not well matched to what pupils already know, so teaching does not build systematically on prior learning
  • Pupil premium funding, while thoughtful, does not consistently result in teachers tackling specific difficulties like spelling and handwriting errors

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - the school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding with all legal requirements met, and pupils feel safe and know they can talk to adults about concerns.

Extracurricular Activities

Football, choir, drama group, jiu-jitsu, residential visits to outdoor centres, road safety ambassador programme, science ambassador programme, school council, breakfast club

Medlar-with-Wesham Church of England Primary School is a welcoming school where pupils enjoy learning and feel safe. While the school excels in personal development and safeguarding, there are concerns about inconsistent teaching and gaps in pupils' knowledge, particularly for older and disadvantaged pupils.

At a Glance

29.8%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+23ppMaths+20ppWriting+31pp

Reading has improved from 58% to 81%. Maths has improved from 58% to 78%. Writing has improved from 47% to 78%.

Class Sizes

22.2

Avg class size

22.3

KS2

5

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Latest from Medlar-with-Wesham Church of England Primary School

From Medlar-with-Wesham Church of England Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.

Social & online

Getting There

Train Stations

Kirkham & Wesham Rail Station (entrance)
362m · 6 min walk

Bus Stops

Wyre Street (by)
87m · 1 min walk
Lane Ends Pub (by)
188m · 3 min walk
Wesham Park Drive (opp)
193m · 3 min walk
St Josephs Church (by)
241m · 4 min walk
Park Drive (by)
241m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

62%

Available places

124 pupils

200 capacity

76 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Preston

Low pressure
New homes approved:3,777
Projected new pupils:944

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Preston

Admissions Demand - Lancashire

Low demand0.77x oversubscription

Places available

15,664

Applications

12,136

Got 1st preference

93.0%

Got preferred school

98.8%

Primary admissions across Lancashire (2025/26)

Inspection History(12)

Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.61614%

Overall absence

14.4%

Persistent absence

125

Enrolments

Authorised5.12268%
Unauthorised1.49347%
Persistent (10%+)14.4%
Severe (50%+)3.2%

Absence trend

4.30844%
18/19
3.07056%
20/21
8.62883%
21/22
8.24329%
22/23
7.1066%
23/24
6.61614%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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