Skerton St Luke's Church of England Primary School
94%
Capacity
198
Pupils
2.9x
Demand
About Skerton St Luke's Church of England Primary School
Skerton St Luke's Church of England Primary School is a popular choice among local families, with 86 applications for just 30 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.87. Of those, 28 offers went to first-preference applicants, suggesting strong local confidence. The school has a Church of England character and is led by headteacher Leanne Gaffiney. It currently has 198 pupils on roll, just shy of its 210 capacity, and serves a community where 40.9% of children are eligible for free school meals — well above the national average. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school was rated Good across all five categories: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This marks a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2018, when it was rated Requires Improvement.
Academically, Skerton St Luke's performs broadly in line with the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 63% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Lancashire local authority average of 60%. Reading scores were a particular strength, with an average scaled score of 103 and 73% of pupils meeting the expected standard. Maths and writing both saw 67% and 73% reaching expected levels respectively. However, attainment at the higher standard was low: just 3% achieved higher scores in maths and writing, and none in reading, writing and maths combined. Nationally, the school ranks in the 48th percentile for its combined RWM expected score, and within the Lancaster local authority it sits 23rd out of 46 primary schools — squarely in the middle of the pack.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including a Forest School, sports hall, art studios, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, cricket, netball and cross country, while clubs include choir, gardening, coding and film club. SEND support is well-documented, with provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and physical disabilities. For families considering alternatives, the nearest Outstanding-rated primary is St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, 3.6 km away. Skerton St Luke's is best suited to families who value a community-focused Church of England primary with strong pastoral support and a broad extracurricular offer, and who are comfortable with a school that serves a diverse socioeconomic intake.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Slyne Road, Lancaster, Lancaster, LA1 2JH |
| Headteacher | Leanne Gaffiney |
| Local Authority | Lancashire |
| Number of Pupils | 198 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 40.9% |
| School Capacity | 198 / 210 (94% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 May 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 30 Jun 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (63%)
6580th of 13,686
Nationally
941st of 2,065
In North West
23rd of 46
In Lancaster
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
63%
Expected Standard
0%
Higher Standard
'22/23
71%
'23/24
63%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
6Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
8Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed30
86
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
31 families put this school as their 1st choice (36% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:20
Breakfast club
07:30-08:45
After-school care
15:20-18:00
Source: skertonstlukes.lancs.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British88.9%
- Asian2.5%
- Mixed2.0%
- White (other)1.5%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
6
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
4
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Skerton St Luke's Church of England Primary School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Slyne Road, Lancaster
Lancaster, LA1 2JH
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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