Delph Side Community Primary School

Delph Side Community Primary School is a calm, happy and ambitious school where pupils feel safe and behave consistently well. Inspectors found the curriculum broad and well sequenced, reading and phonics strong, and support for pupils with SEND highly effective, including in the school’s eight-place key stage 2 SEN unit for speech, language and communication difficulties. Pupils enjoy a rich programme of clubs, trips and wider experiences, and personal development is a particular standout. The school also has effective leadership, knowledgeable governors, improving attendance and strong pastoral support valued by families. This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and, under the current framework, no overall effectiveness grade was awarded. The main area for improvement is pupils’ spoken language and oracy. Although early years support for speech and language is strong, not all pupils develop their spoken language as well as they could, and some struggle to use taught vocabulary to explain their thinking clearly and confidently. The school should prioritise oracy across the curriculum so pupils can talk more effectively about their learning.

Strengths

• Broad and ambitious curriculum meets the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Highly effective identification and support for pupils with additional needs, including individualised provision in the SEN unit.
• Reading sits at the heart of the curriculum, with effective phonics and most pupils fluent by Year 3.
• Pupils behave consistently well, move calmly around school and are eager to learn.
• Personal development is exceptionally well planned, with rich clubs, trips and new experiences.
• Pupils learn how to keep safe online and offline and are accepting of different faiths and cultures.
• Strong pastoral support for pupils and families, and positive engagement with the community.
• Attendance is improving because the school tracks attendance and punctuality closely and supports families.
• Governors use their expertise effectively to support and challenge the school.
• Staff feel well supported, with workload and well-being considered in curriculum decisions.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils struggle to use the vocabulary they have been taught to explain what they know.
• Not all pupils develop their spoken language as well as they could.
• Oracy is not consistently prioritised across the curriculum to help pupils explain their thinking clearly and confidently.

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 Delph Side Community Primary School attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.2% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Delph Side 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 Delph Side Community Primary School had 16.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.3% 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, 13.5% of pupils at Delph Side Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 10.4% 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 Delph Side Community Primary School received £9,425 and spent £9,110 for each of its 250 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £122,000 (£490 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 Skelmersdale · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Delph Side Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Delph Side Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Delph Side Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Delph Side Community Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Delph Side Community Primary School have?

Delph Side Community Primary School has 251 pupils on roll.

What age range does Delph Side Community Primary School cover?

Delph Side Community Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Delph Side Community Primary School?

Delph Side Community Primary School is at Eskdale, Tanhouse, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 6ED.