St Oswald's Roman Catholic Primary School, Accrington

About St Oswald's Roman Catholic Primary School, Accrington

St Oswald's Roman Catholic Primary School in Accrington holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2025, but the detail beneath that headline tells a more interesting story. The school was previously rated Outstanding in 2014, and while the overall effectiveness was not judged in the latest inspection, inspectors awarded top marks for personal development and for behaviour and attitudes, both rated Outstanding. On the most informative exam metric available, 68% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure sits comfortably above the Lancashire local authority average of 60%, placing the school 5th out of 31 primary schools in Hyndburn and in the top 50% nationally. The school also ranks 164th out of 480 similar schools across the wider Lancashire area, a solid mid-table position that reflects consistent, above-average outcomes for a relatively small primary.

Looking closer at the KS2 results, the school's strengths are clearest in reading, where 79% of pupils reached the expected standard and 42% achieved the higher standard. Average reading scores hit 108, while maths averaged 105. In writing, 74% met expectations and 32% reached the higher bar. The combined higher standard across all three subjects was 21%, which is respectable for a school where over half of pupils (50.7%) are eligible for free school meals. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 97% of the 39 respondents would recommend the school, and every parent agreed their child is happy and feels safe. Strong majorities also agreed that the school has high expectations and that their child does well. The only notable minority dissent came around communication of learning plans, where 8% disagreed the school makes them aware of what their child will learn, and 8% disagreed the school supports wider personal development.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 53 applications for 20 places and exactly 20 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.65. Facilities include a sensory room, forest school, chapel, music rooms and an ICT suite, plus a sports hall and outdoor playground. Sports on offer range from athletics and swimming to netball and tennis, while clubs include film, chess, choir, science and gardening. The school's SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. With nursery provision on site and a strong Catholic character, St Oswald's suits families looking for a small, community-focused primary where behaviour and personal development are rated outstanding, and where academic results consistently beat the local average despite a high proportion of pupils facing disadvantage.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Oswald's Roman Catholic Primary School, Accrington

Helpful Guides for Parents