Scorton Church of England Primary School

Scorton Church of England Primary School is a small, federated Church of England primary school where pupils are happy, safe and exceptionally well behaved. Children get off to a flying start in the early years, where staff support confidence, independence and learning exceptionally well. Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics, including pupils with SEND, and attendance is excellent. Personal development is strong, with pupils involved in community-minded activities and a good range of clubs. The curriculum is carefully designed for mixed-age classes and works well in most subjects. However, in a small number of foundation subjects, some learning activities do not focus sufficiently on the key knowledge set out in the curriculum. In addition, weaknesses in the previous curriculum have left some pupils with gaps in knowledge that have not always been identified and addressed, which can hinder new learning. Leadership and governance are effective, staff are well supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and inspectors took the pandemic’s impact into account.

Strengths

• Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable and creates a calm, safe school environment.
• Children in the early years are supported exceptionally well to build confidence and independence.
• The early years curriculum is ambitious and delivered by staff who are experts in child development.
• Pupils are well prepared for secondary school in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Phonics is taught accurately, and many pupils become confident, fluent readers by the end of Year 2.
• Pupils with SEND are identified effectively and supported to access the same curriculum as their peers.
• Attendance is excellent, supported by very effective systems and procedures.
• Pupils develop empathy through kindness and compassion activities in school and the local community.
• Pupils benefit from a range of extra-curricular clubs, including choir, rugby and dance.
• Governors support and challenge the school well, and staff appreciate support for workload and well-being.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of foundation subjects, learning activities do not focus sufficiently on the key knowledge set out in the curriculum.
• Some pupils have gaps in knowledge from the previous curriculum that have not been identified and addressed.
• In a small number of foundation subjects, some pupils do not learn as well as they could because their knowledge is insecure.

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 Scorton Church of England Primary School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.8% 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 Scorton 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 Scorton Church of England Primary School had 18.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% 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, 4.5% of pupils at Scorton Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.5% 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 Scorton Church of England Primary School received £9,713 and spent £9,379 for each of its 66 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £22,000 (£327 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 Scorton Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Scorton Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Scorton Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Scorton Church of England Primary School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Scorton Church of England Primary School have?

Scorton Church of England Primary School has 66 pupils on roll.

What age range does Scorton Church of England Primary School cover?

Scorton Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Scorton Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Scorton Church of England Primary School?

Scorton Church of England Primary School is at Snow Hill Lane, Scorton, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AY.