Catforth Primary School

About Catforth Primary School

Catforth Primary School is a state-funded mixed primary in Preston, within the Lancashire local authority. Among the 480 primary schools in the area, it ranks 117th overall, placing it comfortably in the top quarter. The top-performing peers in the same authority are Crawford Village Primary School, New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School, and St George’s Church of England Primary School in Chorley, each scoring higher on the same ranking metric. Catforth’s own ranking score of 71 puts it in the top 50 tier locally, and it sits 11th out of 45 primary schools within Preston itself. The school is small, with 105 pupils against a capacity of 104, and it offers nursery provision for children from age three. It is a non-religious school, with no official sixth form, and is led by headteacher Julie Bainbridge. The nearest outstanding-rated primary is Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School, about 4.1 kilometres away.

Academically, Catforth performs well above the Lancashire average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of 60%. Reading was a particular strength: 93% of pupils met the expected standard, and 29% achieved a higher standard. In writing, 86% met the expected level, with 29% reaching the higher threshold. Maths saw 79% at the expected standard and 14% at the higher level. Average scores were 108 in reading and 104 in maths. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, confirmed it remains Good overall, with Good ratings for early years provision, leadership and management, and the quality of education. This is a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2016, when it was rated Requires Improvement.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a gymnasium, music rooms, art studios, a sports hall, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports on offer include tennis, dance, athletics, netball, football, cricket and rounders, and there are clubs such as science, film and art. Catforth provides for a wide range of special educational needs, including moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. The school is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 13 places available, with 53 total applications and 18 first-preference applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.08. This suggests strong local demand. Catforth will suit families looking for a small, well-regarded primary with strong reading outcomes, good SEND support, and a broad extracurricular offer, all within a non-faith setting.

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