Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School

Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School has effectively maintained the standards identified in its previous inspection, showcasing a positive learning environment where pupils are engaged and achieve well. The school has a strong focus on fostering high aspirations among students, who consistently demonstrate good behavior and a willingness to support one another. The curriculum is well-structured, helping children build knowledge effectively as they progress, with particular attention to reading and phonics, which has yielded positive outcomes for many students. However, the school is facing challenges related to attendance and the support provided to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Some students, particularly those who have been absent for extended periods, are struggling to catch up with their peers. Furthermore, while support for pupils with SEND is variable, there is a need for more consistent identification and addressing of their specific needs to ensure all pupils can achieve their potential. Overall, though the school is performing positively, addressing these concerns is crucial for further enhancing student outcomes.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate high aspirations and a strong commitment to their learning.
• The school fosters a calm and harmonious environment.
• There is a strong focus on developing reading skills and phonics.
• Teachers effectively check pupils' understanding and adapt instruction accordingly.
• The school provides a variety of high-quality trips and extracurricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Some pupils have significant gaps in knowledge due to prolonged absences.
• The school's strategies to improve attendance are not fully embedded.

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 Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School attended 93.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.1% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School had 22.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 15.7% of pupils at Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School received £6,806 and spent £6,956 for each of its 408 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £181,000 (£443 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 Nelson · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School have?

Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School has 408 pupils on roll.

What age range does Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School cover?

Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School?

Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School is at Hibson Road, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0PY.