Gisburn Primary School

Gisburn Primary School is a small, nurturing village primary where pupils achieve well and feel happy and settled. Inspectors found an ambitious curriculum, strong reading provision and effective support for pupils with SEND. Behaviour is exceptional, classrooms are calm, and pupils are respectful and proud to take on responsibilities. The early years provision is a particular strength, with skilled staff helping children make an excellent start. Personal development is carefully planned, including visits to places of worship, aspirations days and work on health and safety. Leadership is effective: governors know the school well, staff feel supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Attendance is prioritised and the school acts rigorously when it dips. The main area for improvement is assessment in a few key stage 1 and 2 subjects, where staff do not always identify misconceptions quickly enough, leaving some pupils with gaps in knowledge that are not addressed well. This was a graded section 5 inspection in July 2025. The school was previously judged outstanding and had been exempt from routine inspection until 2020; it received an ungraded section 8 inspection in April 2024. Since September 2024, schools inspected under section 5 do not receive an overall effectiveness grade.

Strengths

• Nurturing and inclusive environment where pupils feel happy and settled
• Ambitious curriculum with clearly set out knowledge and relevant staff training
• Strong reading and phonics provision; pupils become confident readers
• Effective support for pupils with SEND so they access the full curriculum
• Exemplary behaviour and respectful attitudes across the school
• Outstanding early years provision with skilled staff
• Carefully designed personal development, including visits and aspirations days
• High attendance prioritised with rigorous action on dips
• Effective governance and strong staff support
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment in some key stage 1 and 2 subjects does not identify misconceptions promptly enough
• Some pupils develop gaps in knowledge that are not addressed well enough

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 Gisburn Primary School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.3% 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 Gisburn 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 Gisburn Primary School had 28.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 42.9% 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, 7.9% of pupils at Gisburn Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.7% 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 Gisburn Primary School received £6,531 and spent £6,614 for each of its 140 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £40,000 (£284 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 Clitheroe · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Gisburn Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Gisburn Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Gisburn Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Gisburn Primary School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Gisburn Primary School have?

Gisburn Primary School has 140 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gisburn Primary School cover?

Gisburn Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 94% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Gisburn Primary School?

Gisburn Primary School is at Burnley Road, Gisburn, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 4ET.