Kirkham and Wesham Primary School

Kirkham and Wesham Primary School continues to perform well, maintaining its 'good' standing since its last inspection. The school creates a nurturing and supportive environment, ensuring that pupils feel safe and cared for. The commitment of the leadership team to foster a positive learning atmosphere is evident in the strong emphasis on high expectations and the successful promotion of good behavior among students. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well academically and are prepared for their next stages of education.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a caring and supportive environment.
• High expectations from leaders contribute to pupil success.
• Staff have strong subject knowledge and effective training.
• Children in early years are well prepared for key stage 1.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Pupils demonstrate resilience and independence in their learning.
• Effective behavior management strategies create a positive learning environment.
• A wide range of extracurricular activities enriches pupils' experiences.

Areas for Improvement

• Insufficient definition of learning objectives in a few subjects affecting knowledge development.

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 Kirkham and Wesham Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.6% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Kirkham and Wesham 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 Kirkham and Wesham Primary School had 20.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.9% 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, 18.7% of pupils at Kirkham and Wesham Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% 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 Kirkham and Wesham Primary School received £7,363 and spent £7,271 for each of its 187 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £115,000 (£614 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 Kirkham and Wesham Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kirkham and Wesham Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Kirkham and Wesham Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Kirkham and Wesham Primary School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Kirkham and Wesham Primary School have?

Kirkham and Wesham Primary School has 187 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kirkham and Wesham Primary School cover?

Kirkham and Wesham Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Kirkham and Wesham Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kirkham and Wesham Primary School?

Kirkham and Wesham Primary School is at Nelson Street, Kirkham, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 2JP.