Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy

About Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy

Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy is a small village primary with a noticeably different intake profile from many of its Lancashire neighbours. With just 97 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, the school is operating at less than half its potential size, which gives it an intimate, almost family-scale feel. That small roll becomes more striking when you look at the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals: 53.6 per cent, which is well above the national average and suggests the school serves a community with significant economic disadvantage. Despite this, demand is healthy. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 23 applications for 13 places, with all 13 first-preference applicants offered a spot. That oversubscription ratio of 1.77 shows local families are actively choosing Warton St Paul's, even with its small size and high-needs cohort. The school is a Church of England primary, so faith character may also play a role in its appeal, though the data doesn't specify how that shapes admissions criteria.

Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good across every category, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership. That's a significant turnaround from its previous inspection in 2020, which judged the school Inadequate overall. Under headteacher Laura Hodgkinson, the school has clearly stabilised. At Key Stage 2, 56 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is slightly below the Lancashire local authority average of 60 per cent. However, average scores in reading and maths both sit at 102, exactly in line with the national average, and 72 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading and maths individually. The proportion reaching the higher standard is low, at 6 per cent across all three subjects, which places the school in the bottom half nationally for combined attainment. Still, given the high level of pupil disadvantage, these results represent solid progress from a low starting point.

The school offers a broad range of facilities for its size, including a library, forest school area, chapel, sports hall, and outdoor playground. Sports provision covers netball, football, cricket, gymnastics and cross country, while clubs include choir, science club, drama and gardening. For children with additional needs, the school lists support for moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health challenges. The nearest outstanding-rated primary is The Willows Catholic Primary School in Kirkham, about 3.8 kilometres away, which may be an alternative for families prioritising top Ofsted grades. Warton St Paul's is best suited to families who value a small, community-rooted school with strong pastoral care and a realistic approach to academic progress, particularly those whose children may benefit from a setting that understands the challenges of economic disadvantage.

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