St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley, Chorley
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 8 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This is a caring school where pupils feel genuinely safe and valued. Staff know children well and implement clear behaviour expectations consistently, creating a peaceful environment where learning thrives. The school offers an enriching curriculum with excellent opportunities for wider development, including trips, charity work, community involvement and partnerships with schools internationally.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve above the national average in reading and writing, with strong phonics outcomes
- Excellent attendance and positive behaviour create a calm, orderly learning environment
- Broad, well-sequenced curriculum that helps pupils make meaningful connections across subjects
- Strong inclusive provision with effective systems to identify and respond to pupils' changing needs
- Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and professional development, creating a valued and supported workforce
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils struggle to recall previous learning, limiting their ability to connect knowledge across subjects
- Grammar and punctuation skills need strengthening for some pupils, particularly those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
- Early years writing provision needs development - children don't have sufficient opportunities to practise writing across different areas of learning
- SEND-specific staff training has not kept pace with the evolving range of pupils' needs
- Insights from checks on disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are not consistently used to inform whole-staff training
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed.
Extracurricular Activities
Yoga, movement sessions, creative and artistic experiences, theatre visits, orchestra visits, residential trips to London and Lake Windermere, charity fundraising, community litter picking, visitor sessions including a Paralympian
St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery in Chorley is a warm and welcoming school where pupils feel safe and achieve positive results in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders demonstrate strong knowledge of the school and are committed to continuous improvement across all areas.
At a Glance
6.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 90% to 75%. Maths has declined from 87% to 72%. Writing has improved from 80% to 84%.
Class Sizes
28.9
Avg class size
26.3
Infant (KS1)
30.8
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
206 pupils
210 capacity
4 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Chorley
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Chorley
Admissions Demand - Lancashire
Places available
15,664
Applications
12,136
Got 1st preference
93.0%
Got preferred school
98.8%
Primary admissions across Lancashire (2025/26)
Inspection History(8)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.50373%
Overall absence
1.62162%
Persistent absence
185
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley
Parklands High School
Chorley Astley Park School
Southlands High School
Oliver House School
Shaftesbury High School
Mayfield School
Westmorland School
St Michael's Church of England High School
Mayfield House School
Holy Cross Catholic High School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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