Cobbs Brow School

Cobbs Brow School is a warm, welcoming primary school where pupils thrive in a family-like atmosphere and achieve exceptionally well. The curriculum is highly ambitious and interesting, teaching is strong, and pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are exemplary. Early years provision, including the two-year-old provision, gives children a strong start, and reading is a clear priority with effective support for pupils who fall behind. Leadership, governance and safeguarding are all effective, and staff well-being is a priority. The main area for improvement is personal development: some pupils do not have a deep enough understanding of differences between people and how these can lead to discrimination, so they are not as well prepared for life in a diverse British society as they could be. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it had not been inspected under section 5 since 2014 because of its previous outstanding judgement. Schools inspected from September 2024 are no longer given an overall effectiveness grade.

Strengths

• Warm, welcoming and family-like culture where pupils feel valued and safe
• Very high academic expectations with challenging and enjoyable lessons
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well and take pride in their work
• Exemplary behaviour, courtesy and respect across the school
• Pupils take on meaningful responsibilities and access a wide range of clubs and sports
• Highly ambitious curriculum that builds rich knowledge over time
• Teachers use strong subject knowledge to check learning and address misconceptions
• Strong early years provision, including for two-year-old children
• Early identification and effective support for pupils with SEND
• Reading is a priority, with swift phonics support for pupils at risk of falling behind
• Exceptional learning behaviour, resilience and independence
• Clear attendance procedures with close tracking and support for families
• Pupils learn about other religions and cultures and understand fundamental British values
• Leaders at all levels are ambitious and subject leaders ensure high curriculum standards
• Staff well-being is prioritised and workload is reduced through collaborative time
• Parents value strong communication and pastoral support
• Governors provide strong oversight and are well informed
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not have a deep enough understanding of differences between people and how these can lead to discrimination, so they are less well prepared for life in a diverse British society

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 Cobbs Brow School attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.0% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Cobbs Brow 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 Cobbs Brow School had 22.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.3% 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, 17.2% of pupils at Cobbs Brow School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 Cobbs Brow School received £6,625 and spent £6,525 for each of its 308 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £122,000 (£396 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 Cobbs Brow School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cobbs Brow School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Cobbs Brow School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cobbs Brow School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Cobbs Brow School have?

Cobbs Brow School has 308 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cobbs Brow School cover?

Cobbs Brow School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Cobbs Brow School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Cobbs Brow School?

Cobbs Brow School is at Manfield, Ashurst, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 6SU.