Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School, Preston
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Preston. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 42nd-highest of the 106 schools in Preston with published results, and 5,291st of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 104% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- 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
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School in detail
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "School is made fun here and you are encouraged to work hard but also to enjoy your learning! Each teacher has their own way of teaching which works exceptionally well- we know! We are a Church of England School and our Christian Ethos and Values are really important to us."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 9.30am and an admissions event on Wednesday 13 January 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Lancashire
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 94% of Year 6 pupils at Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 68% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 64% in reading and 61% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 34 families put Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 79 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School are St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Requires improvement, 81% reading, 74% maths); Kingsfold Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 50% reading, 60% maths); Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham (0.5 miles, Good, 79% reading, 76% maths); and Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 83% reading, 80% maths).
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary SchoolKingsfold Primary SchoolCop Lane Church of England Primary School, PenworthamPenwortham Broad Oak Primary School
Who goes there
6.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Preston Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Middleforth CEPS (adjacent), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 166 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
In 2024/25, Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School issued 13 suspensions, 6.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School are Penwortham Girls' High School (0.7 miles), All Hallows Catholic High School (1.1 miles), Penwortham Priory Academy (1.2 miles) and Christ The King Catholic High School (1.3 miles).
Penwortham Girls' High SchoolAll Hallows Catholic High SchoolPenwortham Priory AcademyChrist The King Catholic 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from November 2013, 12 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 Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
18.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 64% to 94% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 61% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 64% to 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.1
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School
Newsletter - Friday 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Newsletter - Friday 18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Newsletter Friday 3rd July 2026
3 Jul 2026
Newsletter Friday 5th June 2026
5 Jun 2026
Newsletter - Friday 22nd May 2026
22 May 2026
Newsletter - Friday 15th May 2026
15 May 2026
From Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School.
- B.O.O.S.H CLUB LTD280m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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 Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Penwortham Middleforth Church of England 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
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
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, 3 serious and 7 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Penwortham Middleforth Church of England 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 Penwortham Middleforth Church of England 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
104%
Over capacity
212 pupils
204 places
8 pupils over capacity 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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
26
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
18.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
204
Total Pupils
105
Boys
99
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
20.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,474
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,367
Per pupil
£1245k
Total funding
£53k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
12.4%
Persistent absence
185
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
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 94% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Penwortham Middleforth Church of England 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 Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School?
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School was full in 2025, at 104% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School average 29.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School?
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School has around 204 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 12.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Penwortham Middleforth Church of England 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.
Does Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School: B.O.O.S.H CLUB LTD (280m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School's term dates?
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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 Penwortham Middleforth Church of England 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, 3 serious and 7 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School?
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School is at Hill Road South, Penwortham, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 9YE.
Sources: Lancashire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)