St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster

St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School in Lancaster has received an overall outstanding rating in its first routine inspection since 2012. The school demonstrates exceptional performance across all evaluated areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Pupils exhibit exemplary behaviour, show high levels of engagement in their learning, and feel safe and supported in a caring school environment. The school has maintained its high expectations for all students, including those with special educational needs, ensuring inclusive practices and strong academic achievement.

Strengths

• Exceptional attitudes to learning among pupils
• Exemplary behaviour and respectful interactions
• Strong and ambitious curriculum design
• Highly effective support for pupils with SEND
• Outstanding teaching with excellent subject knowledge
• Robust integration of reading across the curriculum
• Well-organized personal development opportunities
• High standards of pastoral care 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 St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.8% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster 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 Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster had 25.8 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, 16.4% of pupils at St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.4% 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 Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster received £6,471 and spent £6,562 for each of its 207 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £108,000 (£519 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 Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster last inspected by Ofsted?

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster have?

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster has 207 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster cover?

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster?

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster is at Bowerham Road, St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 4HT.