St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School

St Wilfrid’s C of E Primary School is a happy, welcoming voluntary-aided Church of England school where pupils thrive. Inspectors found high expectations, warm relationships, good behaviour and regular attendance, and pupils achieve well and are ready for the next stage of their education. All key judgements were good, although under the current inspection framework the school is not given an overall effectiveness grade. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. The curriculum is ambitious and carefully organised from Reception to Year 6, and reading and phonics are particular strengths. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified quickly and supported well, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, responsibilities and community projects, and governors have clear oversight of the school’s work. The main areas for improvement are in teaching. On occasion, teaching is not built on a secure understanding of what pupils already know, so misconceptions are not routinely addressed and some pupils move on before they are ready. In a small number of subjects, learning activities are not well matched to the intended curriculum, which means some pupils do not learn the key knowledge as well as they could.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a happy, warm and welcoming school community.
• Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ achievement.
• The curriculum is ambitious and carefully organised from Reception to Year 6.
• Effective phonics and reading provision helps pupils become fluent, confident readers.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and benefit from well-tailored teaching.
• Pupils behave well, attend regularly and are punctual.
• A wide range of clubs and enrichment activities develops pupils’ interests and talents.
• Pupils take on responsibilities and contribute meaningfully to the local community.
• Personal development, safety, health and British values are promoted well.
• Governors have clear oversight and prioritise staff well-being.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching is not always built on a secure understanding of pupils’ prior knowledge, so misconceptions can go unaddressed.
• In a small number of subjects, learning activities are not well matched to the intended curriculum.
• Some pupils occasionally move on to new learning before they are ready, limiting their achievement.

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 St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.8% 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, 0.4% of pupils at St Wilfrid's Cof E 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 St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.6% 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, 6.7% of pupils at St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% 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 St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School received £6,667 and spent £6,718 for each of its 225 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £130,000 (£576 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 Lancaster · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School have?

St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School has 225 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School cover?

St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School?

St Wilfrid's Cof E Primary School is at Pennystone Road, Halton, Penny Stone Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA2 6QE.