Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School, Accrington

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders work swiftly and decisively with other professionals and parents and carers to accurately identify barriers to learning or wellbeing that pupils might face."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Overall, pupils typically achieve well across the curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders take highly effective action to remove barriers to attendance, and persistent absence has reduced considerably."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum for pupils to study."

Early years - Expected standard. "Many children begin their education in early years with significant gaps in their readiness for learning and in their language skills."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Governors have an accurate view of the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a well-ordered personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum that supports pupils to be ready for their future."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should make sure that pupils have more opportunities to practise and rehearse new learning, including in personal, social, health and economic education, so that pupils remember in the long term the important knowledge that they are taught. • Leaders should continue their work to refine the teaching of handwriting so that pupils who struggle with writing are able to write fluently and accurately. • Leaders should make sure that phonics teaching is of a consistently high quality so that any gaps in knowledge are addressed as quickly as possible".

From the headteacher's welcome: "As St. Paul tells us, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young but set an example for the believers in speech; in conduct; in love; in faith and in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). Our vision enables and inspires the diverse community we serve to achieve their goals and aspirations."

The school runs a breakfast club from 8:15am.

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 81% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 72% in reading and 72% in maths in 2024.

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

For September 2026 entry, 11 families put Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 49 named it as one of their preferences, for 13 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School are St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Oswaldtwistle (0.3 miles, Good, 94% reading, 86% maths); Oswaldtwistle St Andrew's Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 78% reading, 66% maths); Oswaldtwistle Hippings Methodist Voluntary Controlled Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 81% reading, 78% maths); and Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, Church (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 65% reading, 75% maths).

Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

54.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 26.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (54%) and Asian (30%).

In 2026, 22 pupils (15.5%) received SEN support and 4 (2.8%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Church & Oswaldtwistle Rail Station, about 370 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Printers (opposite), 150 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England 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 333 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, Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School issued 9 suspensions, 6.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The secondary schools closest to Oswaldtwistle St Paul's Church of England Primary School are Rhyddings (0.1 miles); Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Hyndburn (0.6 miles); Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School (1.2 miles); and Accrington Academy (1.3 miles).