Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School

Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School is a welcoming and inclusive school where pupils feel safe, valued and part of a diverse community. This full Section 5 inspection found the school meeting expected standards across most areas, with personal development and wellbeing judged as strong. Pupils benefit from a broad personal development programme, effective pastoral support, and many clubs, leadership roles and community experiences. Attendance is above national figures and persistent absence has fallen significantly, while behaviour is generally calm and respectful. The curriculum is well designed, reading and phonics are taught consistently, and early years provision is well sequenced. Pupils with additional needs and those who speak English as an additional language are supported effectively, and the school's inclusive ethos is a clear strength. Leadership and governance are secure, staff feel valued, and governors understand the school well. However, teaching is not yet fully consistent across all classes, and in some lessons foundational writing skills such as handwriting, spelling and punctuation are not checked closely enough, so errors remain. National data also shows disadvantaged pupils' combined reading, writing and mathematics outcomes are below national averages, with a wide disadvantage gap. Leaders know what needs to improve and are working to embed consistent teaching and to close gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge. The school has clear priorities, and recent improvements in attendance and early reading show their work is making a difference. Overall, the school has many strengths, but consistency in teaching and foundational writing remain the main areas for further development.

Strengths

• Broad and effective personal development programme that builds confidence, character and awareness.
• Highly effective pastoral support, including play-based and bereavement support.
• Pupils feel safe, respected and included, and trust adults to help with worries.
• Strong understanding of diversity, cultures, family structures and fundamental British values.
• Varied clubs and leadership roles, with barriers to participation reduced.
• Inclusive culture with effective support for pupils with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language.
• Well-sequenced early years curriculum with a strong focus on communication and language.
• Consistent phonics teaching and improving reading outcomes.
• Attendance is above national figures, and persistent absence has reduced significantly.
• Behaviour is calm and respectful, with a well-understood restorative approach.
• Leaders, governors and staff work well together, and staff feel valued and supported.
• Governors fulfil statutory duties and understand the school context well.
• Effective targeted support for disadvantaged pupils, including reading, language, trips and clubs.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching approaches vary across classes and are not yet fully consistent school-wide.
• Foundational writing skills, particularly handwriting and spelling, are not checked consistently in all classes, leading to persistent errors.
• Punctuation and writing basics are not fully secure for some pupils, causing inconsistencies in written work.
• Disadvantaged pupils' combined reading, writing and mathematics outcomes are below national averages, with a wide disadvantage gap.
• Punctuality remains a concern for a small number of pupils.
• Leaders need to further embed consistent curriculum teaching so all pupils achieve well.
• Gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge are not consistently addressed across subjects.

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 Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.7% 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 Lancaster Dallas Road Community 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 Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School had 23.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.2% 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, 8.6% of pupils at Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School received £6,728 and spent £6,895 for each of its 372 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £208,000 (£558 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).

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What is Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School have?

Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School has 372 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School cover?

Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School?

Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School is at High Street, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 1LD.