Penwortham Primary School

Penwortham Primary School is a smaller-than-average primary that has had a change of leadership since its last inspection, with a new headteacher and other leaders now in post. Inspectors found the school performing at the expected standard in attendance and behaviour, early years, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing, with safeguarding requirements met. Pupils feel safe and happy, behave well, and benefit from strong reading and phonics provision, an effective early years curriculum, and a wide range of personal development opportunities. However, three areas need attention: achievement, curriculum and teaching, and inclusion. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities often do not achieve as well as they could, and some other pupils make less progress than expected, especially in mathematics and writing. Teaching quality varies, with teachers not consistently checking prior knowledge or adapting work well enough to meet differing needs. Leaders’ checks on support and their view of some pupils’ achievement are not rigorous or accurate enough, and agreed strategies for pupils with complex needs are not used consistently. Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, use external support, and have improved attendance and behaviour. But they need to ensure additional needs are identified accurately and promptly, that all pupils access the curriculum successfully, and that teaching and support are consistently effective so pupils are prepared for the next stages of education. Overall, this is a school with solid foundations and effective pastoral and reading practice, but with important work still to do to secure consistently good achievement for its most vulnerable pupils.

Strengths

• Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement.
• Attendance has improved, and most pupils now attend regularly and on time.
• Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND attend well compared to similar pupils nationally.
• Rates of suspensions are low, and temporary part-time timetables are used effectively.
• Most pupils behave well, display positive attitudes, and cooperate with staff.
• Incidents of unpleasantness, including name-calling, are rare and dealt with thoroughly.
• The early years curriculum is well developed, and most children achieve well.
• Staff are well trained in early years and effectively support language and social development.
• Reading has a strong focus, and the phonics programme is effective.
• Staff skilfully support pupils at the early stages of reading until they become fluent.
• The personal development programme is effective, including safety, relationships and online safety.
• Pupils’ wellbeing is a high priority, with resources to support emotional and mental health.
• Leaders ensure all pupils can access trips, visitors, clubs and leadership opportunities.
• Governors carry out their statutory duties diligently.
• Leaders build positive relationships with parents and carers and respond sensitively to concerns.
• Pupils feel safe and happy at school and trust staff to deal with problems quickly.

Areas for Improvement

• Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND often do not achieve as well as they could across the curriculum.
• Some other pupils do not make the progress they are capable of, especially in mathematics and writing.
• The standard of pupils’ written work is variable, and writing knowledge is not applied consistently.
• Pupils’ understanding in subjects beyond English lacks depth at times.
• Pupils are not as well prepared for their next stages of education as they could be.
• Teaching effectiveness varies, including in mathematics and writing.
• Teachers do not consistently check that pupils have secured previous learning before moving on.
• Teachers’ confidence in meeting pupils’ differing needs fluctuates, so some pupils struggle to access the curriculum.
• Leaders do not ensure that disadvantaged pupils’ and pupils with SEND needs are met consistently well.
• Leaders’ view of how well some pupils achieve is over-optimistic at times.
• Expectations are not high enough for some disadvantaged pupils and those facing additional challenges.
• Leaders do not identify some pupils’ additional needs consistently well or in a timely way.
• Checks on the impact of some support lack rigour.
• Strategies for managing individual pupils’ behaviour are not used consistently well.
• Some pupils with the most complex additional needs are not sufficiently engaged in learning.
• Support for pupils who struggle to remain regulated is not as effective as it could be.
• Some pupils’ knowledge of faiths and cultures other than their own is superficial.

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 Penwortham Primary School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.8% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Penwortham 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 Penwortham Primary School had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.8% 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, 16.9% of pupils at Penwortham Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.5% 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 Penwortham Primary School received £6,103 and spent £7,312 for each of its 201 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £179,000 (-£891 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 Penwortham Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Penwortham Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Penwortham Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Penwortham Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Penwortham Primary School have?

Penwortham Primary School has 201 pupils on roll.

What age range does Penwortham Primary School cover?

Penwortham Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Penwortham Primary School?

Penwortham Primary School is at Crookings Lane, Penwortham, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 0HU.