Willow Lane Community Primary School, Lancaster
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Willow Lane creates a warm, welcoming environment where pupils enjoy learning and behave well. The school has excellent phonics teaching and strong early years provision that helps children develop as confident communicators. Your child will have access to a wide range of enriching activities including swimming, music lessons, sporting competitions, and educational trips.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching from Reception Year that helps pupils develop confidence and fluency in reading
- Effective early years provision with a focus on developing children's language skills and communication
- Good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning, with skilled support for pupils who struggle with emotions
- Well-designed curriculum that identifies knowledge pupils should learn
- Pupils have opportunities to broaden experiences through clubs (chess, Latin), trips, swimming, music lessons, and sports competitions
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching of writing is not effective enough - pupils lack foundational skills in grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Assessment checks on learning are inconsistent and gaps in pupils' knowledge are not identified or addressed quickly enough
- Learning activities are not consistently matched to pupils' next steps, so learning does not build securely over time
- Variability in how well pupils build on their learning across key stage 1 and key stage 2, resulting in significant knowledge gaps
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders demonstrating commitment to keeping pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Chess club, Latin club, swimming lessons, musical instrument lessons, sporting competitions, trips including to London, before- and after-school care
Willow Lane Community Primary School is a primary school in Lancaster where pupils enjoy attending and have warm relationships with staff. The school is ambitious for pupils' achievement but requires improvement in the quality of education, with variability in how well pupils build on their learning across key stages.
At a Glance
37.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
43 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 52% to 79%. Maths has declined from 61% to 54%. Writing has improved from 65% to 71%.
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
95%
Near capacity
199 pupils
210 capacity
11 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Lancaster
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Lancaster
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
5.72831%
Overall absence
14.7541%
Persistent absence
183
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
Willow Lane Community Primary School
Lancaster Girls' Grammar School
Our Lady's Catholic College
The Loyne Specialist School
Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy
Chadwick High School
Lancaster Royal Grammar School
Jamea Al Kauthar
Morecambe Road School
Lancaster High School
Nearby Schools
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