St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden, Clitheroe
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Clitheroe. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 10th-highest of the 12 schools in Clitheroe with published results, and 12,107th of 14,452 across England. It was 83% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden in detail
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden in its own words
In its own words: "Following Boris Johnson’s 8pm announcement we now know that as of midnight tonight the country has entered a new period of Lockdown, a Lockdown that includes the closure of school. School will be open for the children of Key Workers and for pupils who are deemed vulnerable."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden reached the expected standard in reading and 57% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 60% in reading and 10% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden
For September 2026 entry, 5 families put St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden as their first choice and 17 named it as one of their preferences, for 5 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden are Sabden Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 75% reading, 67% maths); Simonstone St Peter's Church of England Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 87% reading, 87% maths); Read St John's CofE Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 87% reading, 83% maths); and Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School (2.2 miles, Requires improvement, 69% reading, 75% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden.
Sabden Primary SchoolSimonstone St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolRead St John's CofE Primary SchoolPadiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 13 pupils (18.8%) received SEN support and 7 (10.1%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Whalley Rail Station, about 2.9 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Watt Street (by), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden issued 1 suspension, 1.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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 May 2014, 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 May 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
24.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 60% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 10% to 57% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 50% to 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.0
Avg class size
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden.
- Branching out of school280m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden is a voluntary aided school, 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden
Will you get a place at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden 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
83%
Available places
70 pupils
84 places
14 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Clitheroe
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Clitheroe
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
13
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
29.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
69
Total Pupils
33
Boys
36
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
17.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,048
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,891
Per pupil
£526k
Total funding
£29k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
10.3%
Persistent absence
58
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden
What are SATs results like at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden?
Of the pupils at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 57% did so in maths.
What is St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden?
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 84 places.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden?
Classes at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden average 22 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden?
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden has around 69 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden?
5% of sessions were missed at St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden in 2024/25. 10.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden 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 St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden: Branching out of school (280m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden?
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden is at Watt Street, Sabden, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 9ED.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)