Chatburn Church of England Primary School

About Chatburn Church of England Primary School

Chatburn Church of England Primary School is a small, Church of England primary in the Ribble Valley that is significantly oversubscribed, a clear signal of its local popularity. The school currently has 128 pupils against a capacity of 112, meaning it is operating above its official limit. For the 2025/26 intake, there were 57 applications for just 16 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.56. Of those, 15 were first-preference applications, and only 12 first-preference offers were made, so securing a place is competitive. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 10.2%, which is below the national average for primary schools and suggests a relatively affluent intake. The school’s religious character as Church of England will be a factor in its admissions criteria, and families should check the local authority’s policy on faith-based oversubscription rules.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 judged it Good across all areas, 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. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 53% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Lancashire local authority average of 60%. However, the school’s average scores in reading (107) and maths (105) are above the national benchmark of 100, and a higher-than-average proportion of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading (47%) and maths (26%). Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 50% of primaries on the combined expected standard metric, sitting at the 72nd percentile nationally and 69th in the North West region.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including playing fields, a sports hall, music rooms, a library, and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England foundation. Sports provision includes swimming, gymnastics, netball, tennis, and athletics, while clubs such as Book Club, Coding, Eco Club, and Chess provide enrichment. The school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs, though the Parent View data shows no responses from families of SEND children, so it is difficult to gauge satisfaction in that area. The Parent View survey, based on 40 responses, is overwhelmingly positive: 93% of parents would recommend the school, and 80% strongly agreed that their child is happy and feels safe. This is a school that suits families who value a strong community feel, a Church of England ethos, and a broad extracurricular offer, but who are prepared for a competitive admissions process and should be realistic about its academic ranking relative to other Lancashire primaries.

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