St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Preston, Preston

Ofsted's report card from its 3 February 2026 inspection grades St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Preston on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders maintain high expectations for attendance."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have established efficient systems for the identification and assessment of pupils' individual needs."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Since the school became part of a trust, leaders have successfully navigated significant change."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's personal development programme is well structured and meets the needs of its pupils."

Achievement - Needs attention. "There is a mixed picture of achievement within the school."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Pupils do not develop their proficiency and skills in the fundamentals of reading and writing, including spelling, as quickly as they could."

Early years - Needs attention. "Children across the early years receive an inconsistent quality of education."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that staff deliver the early years curriculum consistently well, making sure that interactions are purposeful and enhance children's learning"; "Leaders should ensure that staff identify and address pupils' knowledge gaps and misconceptions routinely and swiftly, so that errors are not repeated and pupils can progress through the curriculum unimpeded"; "Leaders should ensure that the new approaches to teaching reading, handwriting and spelling are implemented effectively and enable pupils to quickly secure the foundational knowledge and skills that they need for future success"; "Trust leaders and those responsible for governance should continue to provide both challenge and support to ensure leaders' planned actions are implemented effectively and achieve the intended impact over time".

From the headteacher's welcome: "I wanted to take a moment to share how incredibly proud I am to be the Headteacher of St Bernard's. It is an absolute privilege to lead such a vibrant and caring school community, where the journey we've begun together is one I am excited to continue."

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care until 4:00pm.

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Preston reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 73% in reading and 90% in maths in 2024.

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

For September 2026 entry, 17 families put St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Preston as their first choice and 51 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 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 St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Preston are Lea Community Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 74% reading, 74% maths); Ashton Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 62% reading, 62% maths); Lea Neeld's Endowed Church of England Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 75% reading, 80% maths); and St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Lea Town (1.1 miles).

St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Preston's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.

St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Preston is one of 17 schools run by Mater Ecclesiae Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.

55 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Preston (as of April 2026): 91% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 55% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (55%).

11.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Asian (6%).

In 2026, 38 pupils (16.8%) received SEN support and 3 (1.3%) 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 Salwick Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tudor Ave (by), 110 metres away.

In 2024/25, St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Preston issued 13 suspensions, 5.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.