Woodland Community Primary School, Skelmersdale
Woodland Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Skelmersdale. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 18 schools in Skelmersdale with published results, and 4,096th of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below 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
Woodland Community Primary School in detail
Woodland Community Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at Woodland Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 78% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 78% in reading and 78% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Woodland Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Woodland Community Primary School as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Woodland Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Woodland Community Primary School are St John's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale (0.3 miles, Good, 84% reading, 80% maths); St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale (0.6 miles, Good, 91% reading, 87% maths); Cobbs Brow School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 84% maths); and Hillside Community Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 65% reading, 70% maths).
Woodland Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
St John's Catholic Primary School, SkelmersdaleSt James' Catholic Primary School, SkelmersdaleCobbs Brow SchoolHillside Community Primary School
Who goes there
48.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Upholland Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ferndale (by), 230 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Woodland Community Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Woodland Community Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 1.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Woodland Community Primary School are Lathom High School : A Technology College (1.1 miles), Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High School (1.1 miles) and Maharishi Free School (1.1 miles).
Lathom High School : A Technology CollegeOur Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High SchoolMaharishi Free School
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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its May 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
48.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 78% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 78% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.6
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Woodland Community Primary School
Before and after school care
Woodland Community Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Lancashire
Term dates
Woodland Community Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Lancashire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Woodland Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Woodland Community Primary School 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 6 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Woodland Community Primary School
Will you get a place at Woodland Community Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Woodland Community Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Woodland Community Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Woodland Community Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Woodland Community Primary School 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
86%
Available places
326 pupils
378 places
52 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Skelmersdale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Skelmersdale
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(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
62
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
23.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
335
Total Pupils
175
Boys
160
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
16.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,935
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,244
Per pupil
£2318k
Total funding
£232k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.2%
Overall absence
28.4%
Persistent absence
303
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Woodland Community Primary School
Questions parents ask about Woodland Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Woodland Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Woodland Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 89% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% did so in maths.
What is Woodland Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Woodland Community Primary School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2016 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Woodland Community Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Woodland Community Primary School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Woodland Community Primary School?
Woodland Community Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 378 places.
How big are the classes at Woodland Community Primary School?
Classes at Woodland Community Primary School average 23.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Woodland Community Primary School?
Woodland Community Primary School has around 335 pupils on roll. 49% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Woodland Community Primary School?
8.2% of sessions were missed at Woodland Community Primary School in 2024/25. 28.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Woodland Community Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Woodland Community Primary School 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 Woodland Community Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Woodland Community Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
What are Woodland Community Primary School's term dates?
Woodland Community Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Lancashire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Woodland Community Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 6 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Woodland Community Primary School?
Woodland Community Primary School is at Heathgate, Birch Green, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 6QH.
Sources: Lancashire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)