The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham, Preston
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Preston, part of The Blessed Edward Bamber Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025.
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham in detail
Results
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2024, under its previous registration (URN 119626), 87% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
Getting a place at The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham
For September 2026 entry, 39 families put The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham as their first choice and 107 named it as one of their preferences, for 31 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 9 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham are Kirkham and Wesham Primary School (0.1 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths); Medlar-with-Wesham Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 81% reading, 78% maths); Kirkham St Michael's Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 70% reading, 83% maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Medlar-with-Wesham (0.7 miles).
Kirkham and Wesham Primary SchoolMedlar-with-Wesham Church of England Primary SchoolKirkham St Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Medlar-with-Wesham
The trust
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham is one of 20 schools run by The Blessed Edward Bamber Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 47% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 20 schools in The Blessed Edward Bamber Catholic Multi Academy Trust
Who goes there
7.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 26 pupils (12.5%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Kirkham & Wesham Rail Station, about 490 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bryning Fern Lane (opposite), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham issued 3 suspensions, 1.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data; GIAS establishment links; DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in November 2024. Before that, as The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham (URN 119626), it was rated Outstanding in December 2015.
At a Glance
7.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.7
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
1 unlawfully large infant class
2025/26 academic year
Results at The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham before it took its current form in 2024 (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25Published under the school's previous registration (URN 119626). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 83% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 70% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham.
- Activate Camps @ Kirkham Grammar School320m away · Not yet graded
- Blue Dragons Wrap Around Care940m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham 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 The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham
Will you get a place at The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham for 2025 and 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
100%
Full
210 pupils
210 places
No spare places 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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
26
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
12.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
208
Total Pupils
117
Boys
91
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
20.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,283
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1134k
Total funding
£21k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.9%
Overall absence
2.8%
Persistent absence
180
Enrolments
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham
Questions parents ask about The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham
Are there exam results for The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham?
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2024, under its previous registration (URN 119626), 87% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
What is The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham's Ofsted rating?
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in November 2024. Before that, as The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham (URN 119626), it was rated Outstanding in December 2015.
What is the catchment area for The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham?
No fixed boundary. When The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham?
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham?
Classes at The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham average 29.7 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham?
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham has around 208 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham?
2.9% of sessions were missed at The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham in 2024/25. 2.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham 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 The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham: Activate Camps @ Kirkham Grammar School (320m away, registered, not yet graded) and Blue Dragons Wrap Around Care (940m 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 The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham?
The Willows Catholic Primary School, Kirkham is at Victoria Road, Kirkham, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 2BT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)