Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, Preston

About Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, Preston

Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School in Preston holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections. The school’s most telling academic metric is its Key Stage 2 performance in reading, writing and maths combined: 63% of pupils met the expected standard in the 2023/24 academic year, which sits just above the Lancashire local authority average of 60%. That places the school 19th out of 45 primary schools in Preston, putting it in the top half of its immediate area. Nationally, it ranks in the middle of the pack, around the 50th percentile. The data suggests a solid, above-average school within its local context, though not among the very highest performers. Reading is a particular strength: 73% of pupils reached the expected standard and half achieved the higher standard, well above the national norm. Maths and writing are more modest, with 70% and 67% at expected levels respectively.

Looking deeper into the exam results, the school’s average reading score of 108 is strong, while maths sits at 104. Only 13% of pupils reached the higher standard in all three subjects combined, which is below the national average and explains why the school’s ranking score of 63 places it in the bottom 50% nationally. The Ofsted inspection from 2018 noted that leadership and management were Good, and the school remains Good following an ungraded visit that same year. The previous inspection in 2009 also rated overall effectiveness as Good, with early years provision at that time requiring improvement. The school has held a consistent Good rating for over a decade. For parents focused on academic outcomes, the picture is one of reliable, above-average performance locally, with reading as a standout area, but with room for improvement in combined higher attainment.

The school is a Roman Catholic primary for mixed pupils aged 4 to 11, with a current roll of 218 against a capacity of 210, so it is effectively full. It is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 107 applications for 30 places, a ratio of 3.57 applicants per place, and only 26 first-preference offers were made from 29 first-preference applications. Admission is clearly competitive, and Catholic affiliation will likely be a key criterion. Facilities include a sensory room, gymnasium, music rooms, chapel and dining hall, and the school offers a broad range of sports from football to swimming, plus clubs like science, gardening and eco club. SEND provision covers moderate learning difficulty, speech and language communication needs, and multi-sensory impairment. This is a school that suits families seeking a faith-based primary with strong reading outcomes, a supportive environment for SEND, and a wide extracurricular offer, but who are prepared for a competitive admissions process.

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