Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School

Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School is a welcoming, friendly Catholic primary where pupils and children in the early years flourish. Inspectors found high expectations for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and an ambitious curriculum that helps pupils achieve highly. Behaviour is a particular strength: classrooms are typically calm, pupils are highly focused and conduct is excellent. Early years provision is also a standout, with children attentive, curious and well supported in language and reading from Nursery. Reading is prioritised and phonics is delivered effectively, with swift catch-up for pupils who need it. Personal development is central, and pupils are active citizens through charity work, litter-picking and food bank contributions, while staff feel well supported and governors provide clear oversight. Safeguarding is effective. The main area for improvement is curriculum precision in a small number of subjects. In these subjects, leaders are still identifying the specific knowledge pupils should learn, so teachers sometimes move on before pupils have developed a deep understanding. This limits how well some pupils deepen their knowledge in those subjects. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it received graded judgements for each area but no overall effectiveness grade under the current framework.

Strengths

• Welcoming, friendly school where pupils and early years children flourish
• High expectations for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
• Ambitious curriculum with strong subject teaching and clear links to prior learning
• Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve highly across the curriculum
• Impeccable behaviour and excellent conduct in lessons and at social times
• Calm, harmonious classrooms where pupils are highly focused and productive
• Strong early years provision with attentive, curious children
• Reading prioritised from Nursery, with effective phonics and swift catch-up
• SEND needs identified promptly and curriculum adapted purposefully
• Personal development central, with strong community citizenship and equality education
• Staff feel well supported with workload, well-being and professional development
• Governors have clear oversight and support decisions in pupils’ best interests
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, curriculum thinking lacks precision and specific content is not yet fully identified
• In these subjects, teachers sometimes move on before pupils have fully grasped new concepts, limiting depth of learning

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School had 21.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.8% of pupils at Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School received £7,038 and spent £7,686 for each of its 227 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £3,000 (-£11 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School have?

Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School has 236 pupils on roll.

What age range does Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School cover?

Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School?

Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School is at Beech Avenue, Farnworth, Bolton, Lancashire, BL4 0BP.