Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School

Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School is a small, friendly village primary where pupils are exceptionally well cared for and achieve highly. Inspectors found provision to be outstanding in every judged area, with effective safeguarding. This was the school's first routine inspection since 2014, having previously been exempt, and it followed the pandemic; under the current framework no overall effectiveness grade is awarded. The school is a voluntary controlled Church of England primary in the Diocese of Liverpool. The curriculum is a major strength. Leaders give every subject equal importance, set out key knowledge carefully and sequence it well for mixed-age classes. Pupils with SEND are fully included and benefit from the same ambitious curriculum, with barriers identified quickly and support adapted well. Reading is a high priority from Nursery onwards, and pupils behave exceptionally well. Personal development is rich, with pupils showing maturity, empathy and respect, and taking part in a wide range of trips and responsibilities. Staff feel well supported, and governors check the school's work robustly. The main concern is attendance: a small number of pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. The school works closely with parents, carers and external agencies to improve this. Beyond that, the report identifies no significant weaknesses in the school's provision.

Strengths

• Exceptional care and a strong community ethos that helps pupils flourish
• High expectations and exemplary pupil behaviour
• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum across all subjects, including mixed-age classes
• Strong inclusion and support for pupils with SEND
• Highly effective early reading and phonics, with well-matched additional support
• Rich personal development and a wide range of trips and residentials
• Pupils' strong understanding of equality, respect and mental health
• Skilled, well-supported staff with ongoing professional development
• Committed governors who check the school's work robustly
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• A small number of pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should, despite support from the school and external agencies.

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 Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.9% 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 Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England 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 Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School had 21.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.0% 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, 10.5% of pupils at Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School received £7,068 and spent £7,522 for each of its 105 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £2,000 (-£15 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 Ormskirk · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School have?

Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School has 105 pupils on roll.

What age range does Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School cover?

Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School?

Westhead Lathom St James' Church of England Primary School is at 16 School Lane, Westhead, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L40 6HL.