Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School

Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary is a 200-pupil primary school inspected in July 2026. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school is fulfilling expected standards across achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Pupils are proud of their school, feel safe and cared for, and behave well. Attendance is generally strong, with overall and persistent absence below national averages, and pupils benefit from a broad, well-sequenced curriculum with effective phonics and reading teaching. The early years provides a secure start, and provision for pupils with SEND is typically effective. There are some important areas for further work. The report says gaps in prior knowledge are not always addressed, and some staff do not check that pupils' knowledge is secure before introducing new content, which limits how deeply some pupils learn, including those who are disadvantaged. Although most pupils attend regularly, a small number remain persistently absent. Leaders also do not use participation information well enough to ensure all pupils, particularly vulnerable pupils, access the school's wider enrichment offer. Recent 2024/25 outcomes, especially for disadvantaged pupils, were below national averages in some measures, although the report notes that current pupils are mostly achieving well and that longer-term outcomes are broadly in line with or above national averages. The school has notable strengths in personal development, inclusion and leadership. Pupils learn how to stay safe, understand healthy relationships and British values, and take part in a wide range of clubs, trips, leadership roles and outdoor learning. Leaders and governors know the school well, use additional funding purposefully, and prioritise staff wellbeing. The main priorities are to strengthen checking of prior understanding, improve attendance for persistently absent pupils, and ensure wider opportunities are accessed by all.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, cared for and proud to attend, with trusting relationships with staff.
• Behaviour is calm and purposeful; pupils respect others, self-regulate and resolve minor disagreements independently.
• Attendance is a strength overall, with overall absence and persistent absence below national averages.
• Leaders have created a broad, balanced and well-sequenced curriculum from early years to Year 6.
• Phonics teaching is consistent and effective, helping pupils read fluently and with understanding.
• Early years provision builds secure foundations and prepares most children well for Year 1.
• Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils typically receive effective support and learn alongside their peers.
• Additional funding is used purposefully, including through a nurturing breakfast club and targeted support in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Personal development is well developed; pupils understand risks, consent, healthy relationships and fundamental British values.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment, leadership roles, clubs, trips, outdoor learning and a well-resourced library.
• Leaders and governors understand the school context well and provide appropriate support and challenge.
• Staff are proud to work at the school and leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and workload.

Areas for Improvement

• Gaps in pupils' prior knowledge are not always addressed effectively, limiting achievement for some pupils.
• Some staff do not check that pupils' knowledge is secure before introducing new learning, which hinders deeper learning, including for some disadvantaged pupils.
• A small number of pupils are persistently absent and therefore miss out on learning.
• Leaders do not use participation information effectively enough to ensure all pupils, especially vulnerable pupils, take part in wider opportunities.
• Recent 2024/25 outcomes in some measures, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, were below national averages.

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 Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.0% 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 Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head 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 Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School had 23.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.5% 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, 17.7% of pupils at Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.5% 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 Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School received £6,729 and spent £7,071 for each of its 203 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £54,000 (£267 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 Poulton-Le-Fylde · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School have?

Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School has 203 pupils on roll.

What age range does Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School cover?

Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 48% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School?

Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School is at Carr Head Lane, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 8JB.