Pendle Primary Academy, Nelson
Pendle Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Nelson, part of Pendle Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 16 schools in Nelson with published results, and 8,057th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Pendle Primary Academy in detail
Pendle Primary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "As the Principal of Pendle Primary Academy, it is my pleasure to extend a very warm welcome to you, whether you are a prospective or current member of our school community; thank you for showing an interest in our school by visiting this site."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils at Pendle Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 73% 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 75% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Pendle Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 66 families put Pendle Primary Academy as their first choice and 85 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 10 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Pendle Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Pendle Primary Academy are Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.3 miles, 86% reading, 86% maths); Reedley Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 72% reading, 72% maths); Casterton Primary Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 86% reading, 74% maths); and St John the Baptist RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles, 72% reading, 69% maths).
Pendle Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyReedley Primary SchoolCasterton Primary AcademySt John the Baptist RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
The trust
Pendle Primary Academy is one of 5 schools run by Pendle Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
17 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Pendle Primary Academy (as of April 2026): 94% would recommend the school and 94% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (94%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (77%).
Who goes there
90.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Brierfield Rail Station, about 350 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Regent Street (opposite), 220 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Pendle Primary Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 171 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
Pendle Primary Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Pendle Primary Academy are Marsden Heights Community College (0.5 miles) and Sir John Thursby Community College (1.4 miles).
Marsden Heights Community CollegeSir John Thursby Community College
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 11 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Pendle Primary Academy is a warm, welcoming school where children thrive. The school excels at developing pupils' speaking and listening skills from an early age, and creates an inclusive environment where all pupils - including those with additional needs and those learning English - receive excellent support. Pupils achieve well in national assessments, are well-behaved and respectful, and parents consistently praise the school as wonderful.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on oracy and communication skills from early years onwards
- Excellent attendance improvement and behaviour, with pupils showing positive attitudes to learning
- Well-designed curriculum with cumulative knowledge building across subjects
- Highly inclusive provision for pupils with SEND and English as an additional language
- Strong leadership with clear vision for the school as the heart of the community
Areas for Improvement
- Some teachers do not consistently identify and address incorrect letter formation or joining in handwriting
- The school's pupil premium strategy lacks mechanisms to measure and compare the impact of individual initiatives over time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met, and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Annual pantomime, trips and visits, visitors, extra-curricular activities, oracy ambassador roles, wellbeing ambassador roles, outdoor ambassador roles
Pendle Primary Academy is a happy, inclusive school where pupils achieve well and are looked after and nurtured. The school has improved significantly over recent years, with attendance rising dramatically and achievement standards now in line with or above national expectations.
At a Glance
30.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
17 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 68% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 64% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
28.3
Infant (KS1)
30.6
KS2
14
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Pendle Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Pendle Primary Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Lancashire
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Pendle Primary Academy.
- Harringtons Learning Centre510m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Pendle Primary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lancashire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Pendle Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Pendle Primary Academy 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
- 47
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 13
- Children hurt
- 13
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 34 slight.
13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 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 Pendle Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Pendle Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Pendle Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Pendle Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Pendle Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Pendle Primary Academy 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
101%
Over capacity
424 pupils
420 places
4 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Nelson
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Nelson
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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
50
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
16.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
415
Total Pupils
207
Boys
208
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
17.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,745
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,836
Per pupil
£2768k
Total funding
£183k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.8%
Overall absence
13.2%
Persistent absence
370
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
Pendle Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about Pendle Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Pendle Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Pendle Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is Pendle Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Pendle Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2025, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2022, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Pendle Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Pendle Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Pendle Primary Academy?
Pendle Primary Academy was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Pendle Primary Academy?
Classes at Pendle Primary Academy average 29.6 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Pendle Primary Academy?
Pendle Primary Academy has around 415 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Pendle Primary Academy?
5.8% of sessions were missed at Pendle Primary Academy in 2024/25. 13.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Pendle Primary Academy?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Pendle Primary Academy 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.
Does Pendle Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Pendle Primary Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Pendle Primary Academy: Harringtons Learning Centre (510m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Pendle Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 34 slight. 13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 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 Pendle Primary Academy?
Pendle Primary Academy is at Walter Street, Brierfield, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 5AW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)