St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley

St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery is performing at a strong standard, with pupils achieving positive results in national assessments that often meet or exceed the national averages, particularly in reading and writing. The school is praised for its inclusive environment and effective leadership, ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disadvantaged backgrounds, have the support they need. Despite the overall strong performance, challenges remain in some areas, particularly in ensuring that all pupils consistently link their prior learning across subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve positive results in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Strong performance in reading and writing, often above national averages.
• Effective monitoring of attendance leads to regular attendance among pupils.
• Broad and balanced curriculum effectively sequenced for deepening knowledge.
• Inclusive school with effective strategies for supporting SEND pupils.
• Strong community relationships foster a positive learning environment.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils struggle to recall previous learning, affecting knowledge connection.
• Minority of pupils have not fully caught up in grammar and punctuation.
• Provision for SEND-specific training has not kept pace with evolving needs.

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 Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley attended 97.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 1.6% 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, 0.5% of pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley 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 Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley had 25.5 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, 9.2% of pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% 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 Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley received £7,413 and spent £7,300 for each of its 206 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £111,000 (£538 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 Chorley · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley is Expected standard, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley have?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley has 206 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley cover?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley is at Hornchurch Drive, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 2RJ.