The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster

The Cathedral Catholic Primary School in Lancaster is performing well, maintaining the standards established during its previous inspection. The school promotes a positive environment where pupils feel happy, safe, and secure, and they achieve well academically. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of all students, including those with special educational needs, and it offers a variety of extracurricular activities that enhance their learning experience. Overall, the school upholds high expectations for student behavior and promotes strong relationships among its community.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, safe, and secure in school.
• High standards of behavior are consistently maintained.
• The curriculum is ambitious and well-adapted for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Staff are well-trained in teaching reading, resulting in pupils reading with fluency and confidence.
• A wide range of extracurricular activities enriches pupils' experiences.

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff do not consistently address gaps in knowledge promptly.
• Occasionally, learning activities do not allow pupils to deepen their knowledge adequately.

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 The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.4% 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 The Cathedral 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 The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster had 23.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.5% 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, 9.7% of pupils at The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.1% 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 The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster received £7,481 and spent £7,743 for each of its 195 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £97,000 (£499 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 The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster last inspected by Ofsted?

The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster have?

The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster has 195 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster cover?

The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster?

The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster is at Balmoral Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 3BT.