Fulwood and Cadley Primary School

Fulwood and Cadley Primary School is currently facing significant challenges, evidenced by its requirement for special measures due to failing to provide an acceptable standard of education. Safeguarding standards are notably inadequate, putting pupils at risk. Leaders have struggled to create a positive safeguarding culture, and there are concerning issues around pupil behavior and engagement, particularly in how staff manage these aspects. Despite having a high level of disadvantaged pupils and an average-sized enrollment, the school’s academic performance is below national averages, indicating systemic issues in delivering effective education to its students.

Strengths

• Children in the early years start their primary education positively.
• Most children develop a secure understanding of phonics.
• Pupils have opportunities to participate in clubs and trips that enhance their confidence.

Areas for Improvement

• Safeguarding standards are not met, putting pupils at significant risk.
• Leaders' expectations for pupil behavior are too low.
• The curriculum lacks coherence and does not support necessary knowledge development.
• Many pupils do not achieve well in reading, writing, and mathematics.

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 Fulwood and Cadley Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.8% 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, 1.3% of pupils at Fulwood and Cadley 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 Fulwood and Cadley Primary School had 49.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 46.4% 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, 10.9% of pupils at Fulwood and Cadley Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.1% 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 Fulwood and Cadley Primary School received £6,987 and spent £6,917 for each of its 320 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £140,000 (£438 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 Fulwood and Cadley Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Fulwood and Cadley Primary School is Urgent improvement, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Fulwood and Cadley Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Fulwood and Cadley Primary School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Fulwood and Cadley Primary School have?

Fulwood and Cadley Primary School has 320 pupils on roll.

What age range does Fulwood and Cadley Primary School cover?

Fulwood and Cadley Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Fulwood and Cadley Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 41% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Fulwood and Cadley Primary School?

Fulwood and Cadley Primary School is at Cadley Causeway, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 3QT.