Samlesbury Church of England School

About Samlesbury Church of England School

Samlesbury Church of England School was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, a rating it has held consistently across both its graded inspections. The school’s strongest academic indicator comes from its Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year, where 73% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits comfortably above the Lancashire local authority average of 60%, placing the school in the top 25% of primary schools nationally for this metric. In South Ribble, it ranks 9th out of 35 primary schools, and 462nd out of 2,065 in the North West region. The school’s overall ranking score of 73 reflects solid, above-average performance, particularly in writing, where 82% of pupils reached the expected standard and 36% achieved a higher standard — the strongest of the three core subjects.

Digging deeper into the exam data, Samlesbury’s maths and reading average scores of 105 and 106 respectively both exceed the national benchmark of 100. In maths, 91% of pupils reached the expected standard, and 18% achieved a higher standard. Reading saw the same proportion at the higher level, while writing outperformed both with 36% at the higher standard. The school has no Progress 8 data available, but the raw attainment figures paint a picture of a school where most children leave Year 6 meeting or exceeding expectations. The Ofsted report from 2013, the last graded inspection, awarded Good for overall effectiveness, leadership and management, and early years provision, with leadership and management also rated Good in the 2022 ungraded inspection that confirmed the school remains Good.

With just 65 pupils on roll and a capacity of 70, Samlesbury is a small, close-knit Church of England primary. It was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, receiving 19 applications for 10 places, with 12 first-preference applications and 10 offers made to first-preference families — a ratio of 1.9 applicants per place. The school offers a Forest School, library, chapel, playing fields and an outdoor playground, plus clubs including coding, chess, eco club, drama and book club. Sports provision covers gymnastics, rounders, football, cricket and cross country. SEND support is in place for hearing impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families looking for a small village primary with strong academic foundations, a Christian character, and a broad extracurricular offer, particularly if they live within the catchment area given the oversubscription.

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