Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School

Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School is a small, warm and welcoming school that is performing securely overall, with safeguarding standards met. Pupils achieve broadly in line with national averages, behaviour is excellent, attendance is typically good and persistent absence has been reduced. The curriculum has improved in recent years, phonics and multiplication recall have been strengthened, and pupils are generally well prepared for their next stage of education. The school's strongest work is in care, inclusion and personal development. Vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils are supported well, early years staff provide high-quality interactions, and staff feel well supported by leaders. Governors provide appropriate challenge and support. The school is a foundation school in the Axia Learning Alliance and has recently opened a nursery for three-year-olds; it also has an above-average proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans. There are still areas to improve. Support for pupils with gaps in basic skills is not always sharply targeted, and some pupils' handwriting and number fluency are less secure. Staff do not consistently adapt learning for pupils with SEND or for pupils moving into a new year group, transition from early years into key stage 1 needs refining, and subject leaders' insight into curriculum delivery is uneven. Early years outcomes have not been consistently high, although this partly reflects the barriers some children face when they join the school.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe.
• Pupils behave excellently and are kind, respectful and welcoming.
• Pupils achieve broadly in line with national averages, including in phonics.
• Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education.
• Leaders have improved the curriculum and strengthened phonics and multiplication recall.
• Early years staff provide high-quality interactions and help children settle well.
• Leaders identify SEND and vulnerable pupils quickly and secure effective support.
• Premium funding is used effectively to support vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils.
• Personal development is well designed and includes strong emotional and practical support.
• Staff feel well supported and leaders manage workload and professional development well.
• Governors fulfil their statutory duties and provide appropriate challenge and support.

Areas for Improvement

• Additional support for pupils with gaps in basic skills is not always precise enough to close those gaps swiftly.
• Some pupils' number fluency and handwriting remain less well developed.
• Staff do not always adapt learning sharply for pupils with SEND or pupils moving to a new year group.
• Subject leaders' insight into curriculum delivery is uneven, so some improvement actions are less sharply focused.
• Transition from early years into key stage 1 needs refining.
• Early years outcomes have not been consistently high, partly reflecting children's barriers to 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 Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.4% 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, 3.4% of pupils at Penwortham Broad Oak 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 Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.2% 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, 17.9% of pupils at Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.2% 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 Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School received £7,661 and spent £8,018 for each of its 195 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £80,000 (£412 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

Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School is part of Axia Learning Alliance, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Lostock Hall Community Primary School Preston
• Longton Primary School Preston
• Tarleton Community Primary School Preston

What is Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School have?

Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School has 195 pupils on roll.

What age range does Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School cover?

Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School?

Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School is at Pope Lane, Penwortham, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 9DE.