Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School

Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School is an exceptional school where pupils flourish from the early years through to Year 6. Inspectors found a highly ambitious curriculum, exceptional progress from pupils’ starting points, and teaching that routinely checks and deepens pupils’ knowledge. Children get an excellent start in Reception, including strong phonics and reading, and pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported precisely so they master important knowledge and skills. Pupils behave exceptionally well, support one another, and take on leadership roles with maturity. Personal development is woven throughout the school, with pupils learning about healthy relationships, consent, respect and citizenship, and an inspirational enrichment programme broadens their experience significantly. Governance is effective, staff are well supported and proud to work at the school, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was a graded inspection in March 2025, following a long period in which the school had been exempt from routine inspection because of its previous outstanding judgement. The school had not been inspected under section 5 since June 2015, and under current arrangements it does not receive an overall effectiveness grade. No areas for improvement were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Highly ambitious curriculum that builds deep knowledge across subjects
• Exceptional progress from pupils’ starting points, including for those with low starting language skills
• Excellent early years provision giving children a strong start to education
• Rapid development of phonics and reading, with older pupils reading widely and often
• Precise identification and effective support for pupils with SEND
• Pupils behave exceptionally well and defend each other’s right to learn
• Pupils take on leadership roles and act as excellent role models
• Personal development is a golden thread, including healthy relationships, consent and citizenship
• Inspirational enrichment programme that significantly broadens pupils’ knowledge and experience
• Effective governance that challenges and supports leaders
• Highly effective staff development and strong consideration of staff workload
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

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 Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.6% 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 Burnley Stoneyholme 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 Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School had 25.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.4% 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, 10.8% of pupils at Burnley Stoneyholme 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 Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School received £7,871 and spent £8,111 for each of its 406 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £225,000 (£554 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 Burnley · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School have?

Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School has 406 pupils on roll.

What age range does Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School cover?

Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School?

Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School is at Oswald Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 0BN.