Caton Primary School

Caton Primary School continues to uphold the standards set during its previous inspection, showcasing a positive school environment where pupils feel safe and are encouraged to express their talents. The school is ambitious for its students, especially in supporting those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils generally thrive in a supportive setting, with many exhibiting strong readiness for the next stage of their education. However, while the curriculum design is well thought out in many areas, there are some subjects where clarity on essential knowledge and its sequencing is still needed, potentially hindering deeper learning.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and happy at school.
• Strong focus on personal development through extracurricular activities.
• Ambitious curriculum designed with the needs of all pupils in mind.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• High levels of staff support for pupil well-being and workload.

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, clarity on precise knowledge and its sequencing is lacking.
• Some activities do not effectively deepen pupils' learning.

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 Caton Primary School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.8% 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, 4.1% of pupils at Caton 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 Caton Primary School had 16.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.0% 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, 16.0% of pupils at Caton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.2% 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 Caton Primary School received £9,266 and spent £9,461 for each of its 81 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £72,000 (£893 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).

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• Secondary Schools

All schools in Lancaster · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Caton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Caton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Caton Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Caton Primary School have?

Caton Primary School has 81 pupils on roll.

What age range does Caton Primary School cover?

Caton Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Caton Primary School?

Caton Primary School is at Broadacre, Caton, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA2 9NH.