Oswaldtwistle St Andrew's Church of England Primary School

About Oswaldtwistle St Andrew's Church of England Primary School

Oswaldtwistle St Andrew's Church of England Primary School is a mixed state primary for children aged 4 to 11, currently home to 298 pupils against a capacity of 315. That leaves a little breathing room, but the demand tells a different story: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 83 applications for just 43 places, with 47 of those coming as first preferences. That oversubscription ratio of 1.93 means nearly two families apply for every spot, a clear signal of local popularity. The school serves a community with above-average disadvantage — 35.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national primary average of around 23%. This context matters when reading the school’s results, as it reflects the challenges many families here are navigating. The headteacher, Christina Wilkinson, leads a Church of England school in Hyndburn, part of Lancashire, and the school’s religious character is woven into its identity, though admissions are open to all.

Academically, the picture is mixed. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 39% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — significantly below the Lancashire local authority average of 60%. That places the school 26th out of 31 primary schools in Hyndburn and in the bottom 50% nationally. Digging into the individual subjects, 66% met the expected standard in reading, 70% in writing, and 61% in maths, with average scaled scores of 103 in reading and 102 in maths. Higher-attaining pupils are rarer: just 16% reached the higher standard in reading, 11% in maths, and only 2% in writing. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021 rated it Good overall, with Good marks for early years provision, leadership and management, and behaviour and attitudes. That’s an improvement from its 2013 Requires Improvement rating, and the school has held Good across both its 2016 graded inspection and the 2021 ungraded visit.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for a primary of its size, including playing fields, a sports hall, gymnasium, library, ICT suite, music rooms, art studios and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, athletics, football, tennis and gymnastics, while clubs include Eco Club, Book Club and Chess. For families with children who have additional needs, the school’s SEND register covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional challenges, and hearing or visual impairments. This makes it a practical choice for parents seeking a mainstream setting with recognised support structures. Given the oversubscription, families living closest to the school or with a church connection may have an advantage at application. Oswaldtwistle St Andrew’s suits families who value a community-focused, Church of England primary with a broad facilities offer, and who are comfortable with results that sit below the local average — particularly those who see the school’s inclusive intake as part of its character.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Oswaldtwistle St Andrew's Church of England Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents