Accrington Woodnook Primary School

About Accrington Woodnook Primary School

Accrington Woodnook Primary School's headline academic metrics sit noticeably below the Lancashire local authority average for primary schools. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, just 41% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a county average of 60%. That 19-percentage-point gap places the school 368th out of 480 similar schools in Lancashire, and 24th out of 31 in the Hyndburn local area. The school's ranking score of 41 puts it in the bottom half nationally. However, the picture is more nuanced when you look at individual subjects: 59% of pupils met the expected standard in both reading and maths, and average scaled scores in those subjects were 102 each — only slightly below the national benchmark of 100. Writing was a weaker spot, with 56% reaching the expected level and just 6% working at a higher standard.

The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, judged it as Requires Improvement overall, though inspectors noted several areas of strength. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management were all rated Good. The quality of education was the one area rated Requires improvement, which aligns with the below-average KS2 outcomes. This represents a downgrade from the school's previous graded inspection in 2017, when it was rated Good across the board. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 100% of respondents to the Parent View survey would recommend the school, and 70% strongly agreed that their child is happy and feels safe. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage — 50% of pupils are eligible for free school meals — which provides important context for its academic results.

Accrington Woodnook is a mixed, non-denominational state primary for children aged 4 to 11, with a current roll of 218 pupils against a capacity of 285. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 96 applications for 39 places, with 44 first-preference applications and 39 offers made. The school offers a range of facilities including a gymnasium, music rooms, an ICT suite, a forest school and a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, football, cricket, tennis, rounders, dance and gymnastics, while clubs include drama, film club, science club and choir. The school has a broad SEND offer, with provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that families choose despite its academic challenges, and where parents report high levels of satisfaction with pastoral care and communication.

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