Northern Primary School

About Northern Primary School

Northern Primary School is a mixed state primary for ages 5 to 11 within the Lancashire local authority, located in the borough of Rossendale. Among the 31 primary schools in Rossendale, it ranks 12th, placing it in the top half of the local league table. The top-performing peers in the wider Lancashire area include Crawford Village Primary School, New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School, and St George's Church of England Primary School, Chorley. The nearest outstanding-rated school is St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Newchurch, about 4.2 km away. Headteacher Anna Ewens leads a school of 165 pupils, within a capacity of 210. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 18.2%, slightly above the national average for primary schools, reflecting the mixed catchment the school serves.

Academically, Northern Primary performs solidly against local benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 66% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is above the Lancashire local authority average of 60%. Reading and writing both saw 83% of pupils meeting the expected standard, while maths reached 72%. At the higher standard, 10% achieved the combined measure, with 31% reaching higher in reading and writing each, and 17% in maths. Average scaled scores were 106 in reading and 103 in maths. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024 confirmed it remains Good, a rating it has held since its previous graded inspection in November 2013. The leadership and management, as well as overall effectiveness, were both graded Good, and the ungraded inspection noted the school continues to maintain this standard.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, playing fields, sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms, an ICT suite, and a forest school. Sports on offer include athletics, football, swimming, netball, tennis, cricket and rounders, while clubs range from drama and choir to chess, science club and eco club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school provides support for a wide spectrum of conditions including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. Admissions for the 2025/26 year show the school is oversubscribed, with 51 applications for 17 places and all 17 first-preference applicants offered a spot. This suggests a popular local choice for families who value a primary experience within a relatively small school setting.

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