Arkholme Church of England Primary School

About Arkholme Church of England Primary School

Arkholme Church of England Primary School is a small state primary in the Lancaster area, with 98 pupils on roll against a capacity of 112, so there is some spare room. The school serves a notably less disadvantaged intake than the national average, with just 2.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 24 applications for 14 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.71 applicants per place. Of those, 11 were first-preference applications, and all 11 received offers. This suggests a solid local reputation, though the school is not among the most oversubscribed in the area. As a Church of England school, it has a religious character, and it offers nursery provision for children from age three. The headteacher is David Prescott, and the school is co-educational for ages 3 to 11.

Academically, Arkholme's most recent Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 31%, well below the Lancashire local authority average of 60%. In individual subjects, reading was a relative strength, with 92% of pupils reaching the expected standard and 15% achieving the higher standard. Maths was weaker, with 46% at expected and 8% at higher, while writing saw 62% at expected and none at the higher level. The school's average scaled scores were 106 in reading and 102 in maths. In the local authority rankings, Arkholme sits at 398th out of 480 primary schools, placing it in the bottom half. Nationally, it ranks in the bottom 5% of schools on the combined expected standard metric. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024 rated the school Good overall, with Good in all categories including behaviour, leadership, and early years provision, maintaining the same rating as its previous inspection in 2019.

The school offers a broad range of facilities for its size, including a sports hall, playing fields, a forest school, a sensory room, a chapel, and an ICT suite. Sports on offer include cross country, athletics, tennis, gymnastics, swimming and cricket, while clubs range from gardening and choir to coding and film club. The school has a substantial SEND offer, with provisions for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, visual impairment, physical disability, and social and emotional mental health needs, among others. For families who value a small, church-affiliated primary with a strong focus on reading and a calm, Good-rated environment, Arkholme could be a good fit. However, the below-average KS2 outcomes mean parents prioritising academic results at the top end may want to look at higher-performing schools in the Lancaster area, such as Crawford Village Primary or New Longton All Saints.

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