St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, Preston

About St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, Preston

St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School in Preston sits within the Lancashire local authority, one of 480 primary schools in the area. It is a state-funded, mixed Roman Catholic school for children aged 4 to 11, with a capacity of 315 pupils. Among its local peers, the highest-ranked primary in the authority is Crawford Village Primary School, followed by New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School and St George’s Church of England Primary School in Chorley. While St Anthony’s does not appear among these top three, its Good Ofsted rating places it in the majority of Lancashire primaries — only 31 of the 480 schools in the authority have achieved an Outstanding rating. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is The Olive School, Preston, located just 1.5 kilometres away. Headteacher Jane Barnes leads a school that offers a strong Catholic identity within a competitive local landscape, where families have several high-performing options to consider.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection, St Anthony’s was judged Good overall, with inspectors noting that pupils behave well and feel safe. The school does not publish its own Progress 8 or KS2 SATs results in the available data, so it is not possible to compare its academic performance directly against the Lancashire average of 60 for Key Stage 2 attainment. However, the Good rating suggests that teaching and outcomes meet the national standard. The school’s curriculum is supported by specialist facilities including an ICT suite, music rooms, a gymnasium, and a chapel, which reflect its Catholic character. Extracurricular offerings include science, gardening, film, and book clubs, alongside sports such as netball, tennis, football, gymnastics, and cross country. Without published exam scores, parents may wish to request the school’s most recent performance data directly to gauge how it compares with the local authority average.

St Anthony’s provides a broad range of facilities that go beyond the typical primary school, including a forest school, sensory room, and playing fields, which support both academic and pastoral development. The school does not offer nursery provision or a sixth form, and it is not a boarding school. Its Roman Catholic religious character may appeal to families seeking a faith-based education, though the school is open to all. Given its Good rating and position within a large local authority with many primaries, it is likely to be a popular choice for Catholic families in Preston. The school’s oversubscription status is not specified in the data, but its capacity of 315 suggests it is a reasonably sized primary. Parents considering St Anthony’s should also look at nearby Outstanding options like The Olive School, Preston, and the top-ranked Crawford Village Primary School to make a fully informed choice.

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