St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Newchurch

About St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Newchurch

If you’re a parent considering St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Newchurch, the numbers suggest you’d be in good company. In the most recent Parent View survey, covering responses from September 2024 to September 2025, a striking 94% of parents said they would recommend the school. That’s a very strong signal, and it’s backed up by the detail: 90% of respondents strongly agreed that their child is happy here, and 89% strongly agreed that their child feels safe. The school is clearly popular, too. For its 2025/26 reception intake, St Peter’s had 84 applications for just 20 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.2. Of those, 37 were first-preference applications, and all 20 first-preference offers were taken up. So if you’re thinking of applying, it’s worth knowing that demand far outstrips supply.

Academically, St Peter’s is performing well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 77% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Lancashire local authority average of 60%. That puts the school in the top 25% nationally for this measure. The average reading score was 108 and the average maths score was 107, both above the national benchmark of 100. A higher-than-expected proportion of pupils reached the higher standard in reading (38%) and maths (35%), though the combined higher standard figure was 19%. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, judged it Outstanding across the board — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all received the top grade. That’s a clean sweep, and it matches the Outstanding rating the school held in its previous inspection back in 2014.

St Peter’s is a small school, with 149 pupils on roll against a capacity of 150, and it serves a Roman Catholic community in Rossendale. The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, a gymnasium, art studios and a chapel. Sports on offer include swimming, cricket, football, rounders, tennis and netball, and there are clubs such as book club, art club, coding and chess. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment and physical disability. In the Parent View survey, 80% of respondents strongly agreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need. With 12.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school draws from a mixed catchment. Given its Outstanding rating, strong exam results and high parental satisfaction, this is a school that will particularly suit families who value academic rigour within a faith-based setting — but be prepared for a competitive admissions process.

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