Brinscall St John's CofE and Methodist Primary School

About Brinscall St John's CofE and Methodist Primary School

Brinscall St John's CofE and Methodist Primary School is a state primary in Chorley, part of the Lancashire local authority, and it sits among a competitive group of local peers. Within Chorley’s 46 primary schools, it ranks 15th, placing it comfortably in the top third. Its top-performing neighbours include Crawford Village Primary School, New Longton All Saints CofE Primary, and St George’s Church of England Primary School in Chorley, which all score higher on the same ranking metric. The school is a Church of England/Methodist mixed primary for children aged 4 to 11, with 187 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210. It is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 42 applications for 21 places, with 17 first-preference offers made. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Withnell, just 1.3 km away, though Brinscall itself holds a Good rating from its most recent inspection in January 2024.

Academically, Brinscall St John’s performs above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Lancashire average of 60%. The school’s ranking score of 71 on the KS2 RWM expected metric places it in the top 50% nationally and the top 26% within the North West region. Average scaled scores were 107 in reading and 105 in maths, both above the national benchmark of 100. A higher proportion of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading (39%) and writing (35%) than in maths (26%). The school’s Ofsted inspection noted Good ratings across all categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This represents a change from its previous inspection in 2012, when it was rated Outstanding overall, though the current judgement reflects a consistent standard of provision.

The school offers a solid range of facilities, including a sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, art studios, a sensory room, and a chapel. Sports provision covers gymnastics, athletics, dance, swimming, and netball, while clubs include choir, film club, drama, science club, coding, and gardening. SEND support is available for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With only 4.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively low-deprivation catchment. It does not offer nursery provision or a sixth form. Given its oversubscription and strong local ranking, this school will particularly suit families in the Chorley area who value a faith-based primary with above-average academic outcomes and a broad extracurricular offer, though they should be prepared for competitive admissions.

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