Moorside Primary School, Lancaster
Moorside Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Lancaster. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 14th-highest of the 24 schools in Lancaster with published results, and 5,291st of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than 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
Moorside Primary School in detail
Moorside Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Our school vision is very important in shaping the way we work with children: “To foster a caring community where all children actively participate in enquiry-led purpose-driven learning. We promote resilience and resourcefulness and sustainability."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 85% of Year 6 pupils at Moorside Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (78% in reading, 87% in maths).
Getting a place at Moorside Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 44 families put Moorside Primary School as their first choice and 138 named it as one of their preferences, for 47 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Moorside Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Moorside Primary School are St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 97% maths); Scotforth St Paul's Church of England Primary and Nursery School (0.4 miles, Good, 89% reading, 78% maths); Bowerham Primary & Nursery School (0.6 miles, Good, 83% reading, 67% maths); and The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster (1 mile, Good, 93% reading, 90% maths).
Moorside Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, LancasterScotforth St Paul's Church of England Primary and Nursery SchoolBowerham Primary & Nursery SchoolThe Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster
Who goes there
10.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 115 pupils (20.2%) received SEN support and 11 (1.9%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Lancaster Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Moorside School (by), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Moorside Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Moorside Primary School issued 6 suspensions, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Moorside Primary School are Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy (0.9 miles), Lancaster Royal Grammar School (1 mile), Lancaster Girls' Grammar School (1.2 miles) and Lancaster High School (1.5 miles).
Ripley St Thomas Church of England AcademyLancaster Royal Grammar SchoolLancaster Girls' Grammar SchoolLancaster High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from April 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are happy at Moorside Primary School. The school's values underpin the positive way that pupils relate to one another. Pupils are kind and polite. They pride themselves on making everyone feel welcome in their school.
The school has high expectations of pupils' learning. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils try their best. They typically achieve well. Year 6 pupils are well prepared for their secondary education.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils benefit from reading a wide range of interesting books. Staff deliver the new early reading curriculum effectively. As a result, most children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 gain a secure knowledge of phonics. However, the support that a small number of pupils who find learning to read more difficult receive is not effective enough. This hinders how quickly these pupils become fluent readers.
The school has developed an ambitious and well-thought-out curriculum in nearly all subjects across key stages 1 and 2. In these subjects, the school has considered carefully what it wants pupils to know and the order in which this content will be taught. This is similar in the early years where the curriculum is also well designed and delivered. Most pupils progress well through the curriculum, so that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
From Ofsted's December 2023 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
10.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 78% to 85% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 87% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 84% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.1
Avg class size
24.8
Infant (KS1)
28.9
KS2
21
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Moorside Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Moorside Primary School.
- Stagecoach Lancaster960m away · Not yet graded
Nurseries
Moorside After School Club is at Moorside Primary School.
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Moorside Primary School, with their latest published grades:
- Tiny Treasures - Day nursery, 0.2 milesOfsted, 16 June 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Brookdale Day Nursery Ltd - Day nursery, 0.5 milesOfsted report card, 18 September 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Bowerham Primary and Nursery School Baby Unit - Pre-school, 0.6 milesOfsted report card, 9 June 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- University of Cumbria Pre-School Centre - Day nursery, 0.6 milesOfsted, 7 November 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Nazareth House Day Nursery - Day nursery, 0.8 milesOfsted, 11 April 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Term dates
Moorside 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 Moorside Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Moorside 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 6 slight.
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 Moorside Primary School
Will you get a place at Moorside Primary School?
For 2026 entry it had 44 first choices for 47 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
93%
Near capacity
588 pupils
630 places
42 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 Lancaster City planning area (Lancashire) will have 376 spare primary places in 2027/28.
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
115
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
22.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
570
Total Pupils
305
Boys
265
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
31
Teachers
18.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,400
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,059
Per pupil
£3246k
Total funding
£77k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.4%
Overall absence
4.8%
Persistent absence
547
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
Questions parents ask about Moorside Primary School
What are SATs results like at Moorside Primary School?
Of the pupils at Moorside Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 85% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is Moorside Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Moorside Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2023, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in April 2018, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at Moorside Primary School?
Moorside Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at Moorside Primary School?
Classes at Moorside Primary School average 27.1 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils.
How many pupils go to Moorside Primary School?
Moorside Primary School has around 570 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Moorside Primary School?
3.4% of sessions were missed at Moorside Primary School in 2024/25. 4.8% of pupils were persistently absent.
Does Moorside Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Moorside Primary School: Stagecoach Lancaster (960m away, registered, not yet graded).
What are Moorside Primary School's term dates?
Moorside 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 Moorside Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 6 slight. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Moorside Primary School?
Moorside Primary School is at Bowerham Road, Newlands, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 4HT.
Sources: Lancashire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)