Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School

Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School demonstrates a strong overall performance, meeting the expected standards for pupils' achievement, behaviour, and personal development. The school has effectively put in place strategies that ensure all pupils, including those disadvantaged and those with special educational needs, make good progress in crucial academic skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics. The dedicated staff provide a nurturing atmosphere that fosters pupils' emotional wellbeing and academic success. With appropriate safeguarding measures firmly in place, the environment is safe, and pupils feel supported and valued.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well in English and mathematics.
• Strong support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs.
• High-quality written work from pupils.
• Effective leadership with suitable actions to improve the school’s provision.
• Positive behaviour and attitudes towards learning.
• Robust personal, social and health education curriculum.

Areas for Improvement

• Some approaches to evaluate the curriculum and teaching quality lack rigour.
• Limited variety in extracurricular opportunities for pupils.

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 Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 25.0% 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, 10.8% of pupils at Calder Vale St John 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 Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School had 20.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 50.0% 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, 15.4% of pupils at Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 20.5% 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 Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School received £15,809 and spent £16,330 for each of its 38 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £24,000 (£620 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

What is Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School have?

Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School has 39 pupils on roll.

What age range does Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School cover?

Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School?

Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School is at Calder Vale, Garstang, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1SR.