Simonstone St Peter's Church of England Primary School

About Simonstone St Peter's Church of England Primary School

Simonstone St Peter's Church of England Primary School is a small, mixed primary in Ribble Valley, operating at full capacity with 134 pupils against a school capacity of 133. The school serves a notably affluent intake: just 1.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, far below the national average. Demand is strong — for the 2025/26 reception intake, the school received 60 applications for 20 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3:1, with 24 first-preference applications for those 20 spots. This suggests a popular local choice, likely drawing from the immediate village community and surrounding rural area. The headteacher is Jill Cockings, and the school holds a Church of England religious character, which may appeal to families seeking a faith-based primary with a strong community feel.

Academically, Simonstone St Peter's performs around the middle of the pack. In the 2023/24 KS2 assessments, 61% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, just above the Lancashire local authority average of 60%. However, the school ranks 18th out of 25 primary schools in Ribble Valley, placing it in the bottom half locally, and nationally sits in the 54th percentile. Results are mixed by subject: 89% met the expected standard in maths, with an average score of 107, while reading and writing were lower at 83% and 78% respectively. The proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects was 17%. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 confirmed it remains Good, a rating it has held consistently across its previous inspections, with leadership, early years provision and behaviour all graded Good.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including an ICT suite, sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, a forest school and a sensory room. Clubs include gardening, book club, drama and film club, while sports provision covers rounders, gymnastics, netball, tennis and athletics. SEND support is well-documented, with provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language needs, visual impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a viable option for families whose children need additional support within a mainstream setting. Given its oversubscription, families living outside the immediate catchment should apply early. The school suits those who value a small, Church of England village primary with strong community ties and a balanced, non-selective academic profile.

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