Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall

Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School is currently performing at an expected standard, with safeguarding measures fully implemented to ensure the safety and well-being of pupils. Leaders and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting attendance and the personal development of all students. Despite these strengths, the school faces significant challenges, particularly in academic achievement, especially for older pupils who are not making sufficient progress in the core subjects of reading, writing, and mathematics. The leaders recognize the need for improved curriculum implementation and effective teaching strategies to better prepare students for future educational stages.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and well cared for.
• Good relationships between staff and pupils foster a positive school atmosphere.
• Most children in the Reception Year make a positive start to their education.
• The school provides a coherent programme for personal development and wellbeing.
• Leaders support pupils' emotional wellbeing effectively.

Areas for Improvement

• Older pupils are not achieving expected results in national tests.
• Curriculum and teaching practices need improvement.
• Inconsistent adaptations for pupils with SEND.
• Leaders have not effectively tackled improvements needed across the school.
• Various leadership changes have limited the pace of improvement.

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 Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.9% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall 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 Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.0% 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, 15.2% of pupils at Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% 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 Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall received £7,569 and spent £7,553 for each of its 164 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £33,000 (£200 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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What is Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall last inspected by Ofsted?

Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall have?

Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall has 164 pupils on roll.

What age range does Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall cover?

Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 46% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall?

Carter's Charity Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Preesall is at Pilling Lane, Preesall, 253 Pilling Lane, Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 0HH.