Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School

About Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School

Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School is one of 33 primary schools in the Pendle area of Lancashire, and it sits 16th among them with a ranking score of 66 based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. That places it just above the midpoint of Pendle primaries, though it trails the top three local peers — Crawford Village Primary School, New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School and St George's Church of England Primary School in Chorley — which all achieved higher ranking scores. Nationally, the school ranks 5,744th out of 13,686 primary schools, putting it in the 42nd percentile, and in the North West region it ranks 831st out of 2,065. It’s a solidly mid-table performer within its local landscape, not a standout but comfortably above the median for its area.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in July 2022, the school was rated Good overall, with personal development judged Outstanding — the only category to reach that top grade. Behaviour and attitudes, quality of education, early years provision and leadership and management were all rated Good. That’s an improvement on the previous inspection in 2011, which also rated the school Good overall but gave early years provision a lower grade of 2. At Key Stage 2, 66% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, which is above the Lancashire local authority average of 60%. Reading and maths average scores were 105 and 104 respectively, and the proportion reaching the higher standard in those subjects was 26% and 20%. Writing saw 23% reach the higher standard. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available, so it’s not possible to compare pupil progress directly, but the attainment figures suggest a school performing slightly ahead of its local peers.

The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 73 applications for 32 places, with 27 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.28, so families should be prepared for competition. Facilities include a sensory room, ICT suite, forest school, playing fields, library and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England foundation. Sports on offer include football, netball, cricket and dance, while clubs range from drama and coding to choir, gardening and eco club. The school’s SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health support. With 20.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, it serves a fairly typical demographic for the area. This is a community-focused primary that suits families looking for a Good-rated school with strong personal development and a wide range of enrichment activities, set in a semi-rural Lancashire town.

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