Forton Primary School

Forton Primary School is a small primary school that performs well overall. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils feel safe, proud of their school and supported by warm relationships with adults. Attendance is above national averages and persistent absence is improving rapidly. Behaviour is excellent: pupils are polite, self-controlled and supportive of one another, and bullying is rare. Early years provision is highly effective, giving children a strong start in language, reading and personal development. Pupils generally achieve well, with outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics above national averages over time, and disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND generally achieving well. Leaders have a clear, sequenced curriculum, inclusion is a priority, and governance and staff development are effective. The school also has a strong personal development and wellbeing offer, including pastoral support, clubs, trips and pupil leadership roles. There are still areas to improve. Some pupils do not spell accurately, which affects their writing across subjects, and teachers do not always identify gaps in understanding quickly enough or adapt tasks to deepen learning. Support for some vulnerable pupils is not precise enough to help them make the progress they are capable of, and pupils' understanding of protected characteristics and fundamental British values lacks depth. Overall, the school is in a strong position with clear priorities for further refinement.

Strengths

• Leaders prioritise attendance and work effectively with families and external agencies, keeping attendance above national averages.
• Pupils' behaviour is excellent; they are respectful, self-controlled and supportive of each other, and bullying is rare.
• Early years provision is highly effective, providing a nurturing, inclusive and ambitious start to education.
• Children develop strong early language and reading skills, with most reading accurately and fluently by the end of Reception.
• Most pupils achieve above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND generally achieve well because leaders identify and address gaps.
• The curriculum is clear and well sequenced, and pupils learn a wide range of subjects in appropriate depth.
• Inclusion is a strength: barriers to learning and wellbeing are identified quickly, and leaders work closely with families and agencies.
• Leadership and governance are effective, with an accurate view of the school and a clear sense of direction.
• Staff receive purposeful training, feel valued and supported, and are proud to work at the school.
• Personal development and wellbeing are central, with strong pastoral support, leadership roles, clubs, sport and trips.
• Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils feel safe and know trusted adults will listen and act.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils struggle to spell accurately, which hinders their written communication across subjects.
• Teachers do not always identify gaps in pupils' understanding quickly enough, making later learning harder for some.
• Some tasks do not help pupils deepen their learning or apply knowledge independently.
• Adaptations for some vulnerable pupils, including those with SEND, are not precise enough to help them address gaps and make the progress they are capable of.
• Pupils' knowledge of protected characteristics and fundamental British values lacks depth and is not always connected to life in modern Britain.

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 Forton Primary School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.6% 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 Forton 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 Forton Primary School had 20.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 10.6% of pupils at Forton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 Forton Primary School received £7,101 and spent £7,560 for each of its 104 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £39,000 (£373 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

All schools in Preston · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Forton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Forton Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Forton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Forton Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Forton Primary School have?

Forton Primary School has 104 pupils on roll.

What age range does Forton Primary School cover?

Forton Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Forton Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Forton Primary School?

Forton Primary School is at School Lane, Forton, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 0AS.