Garstang Community Primary School

Garstang Community Primary School has been graded as 'Good' in its first inspection after 14 years. The school was previously rated 'Outstanding' and has made commendable strides in providing a safe and welcoming environment for pupils who are eager to learn. The curriculum is ambitious and engages pupils effectively, promoting good achievement across various subjects. Notably, the school has prioritized reading, ensuring that pupils receive robust support to enhance their literacy skills, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, some areas of the curriculum still require clarification to fully equip teachers with the knowledge of essential learning outcomes.

Strengths

• Pupils arrive happy and ready to learn, showing a strong sense of safety and community.
• Leaders have high expectations and designed an ambitious curriculum that engages pupils.
• Pupils achieve well across the curriculum and demonstrate good behavior in lessons.
• Strong emphasis on reading and support for pupils who fall behind.
• Effective identification and support for pupils with SEND.
• Pupils demonstrate respect, tolerance, and understanding of British values.
• Governors and leaders have implemented policies that reduce teacher workload.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack finalized content knowledge, leading to teacher uncertainty.
• Inconsistencies in staff delivery of the new phonics programme.

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 Garstang Community Primary School attended 96.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.6% 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 Garstang 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 Garstang Community Primary School had 24.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% 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, 5.9% of pupils at Garstang Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% 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 Garstang Community Primary School received £7,025 and spent £7,086 for each of its 202 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £54,000 (£268 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 Garstang Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Garstang Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2023.

When was Garstang Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Garstang Community Primary School was last inspected in April 2023.

How many pupils does Garstang Community Primary School have?

Garstang Community Primary School has 202 pupils on roll.

What age range does Garstang Community Primary School cover?

Garstang Community Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Garstang Community Primary School?

Garstang Community Primary School is at Oak Road, Garstang, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1HT.