St Chad's Catholic Primary School

St Chad's Catholic Primary School is a small Catholic primary school in Chorley. It is performing well overall: safeguarding standards are met, pupils enjoy attending, attendance is consistently well above average, and behaviour is excellent. Pupils achieve broadly in line with national averages, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning. The early years provision, inclusion and personal development are positive features, and pupils leave feeling academically and emotionally ready for secondary school. Leaders and governors have a shared ambitious vision, and governance is effective. Staff are well supported, including through professional development focused on SEND, and the school's Catholic ethos and inclusive caring environment are evident across school life. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment, clubs, leadership roles and pastoral support. Personal development, including British values, equality and diversity, is a real strength. The main areas for improvement are in the curriculum and teaching. In some subjects, the curriculum does not precisely identify what pupils should learn and in what order, so pupils do not always build detailed knowledge or understand how key concepts link together. Teachers also do not always use assessment information effectively within lessons to address misconceptions swiftly or to extend and deepen pupils' knowledge. These are clear next steps rather than urgent concerns.

Strengths

• Consistently high attendance, well above national averages
• Highly positive behaviour culture with calm, respectful and purposeful classrooms
• Pupils feel safe and are confident to share worries with staff
• Strong personal development programme covering British values, equality and diversity
• Effective leadership and governance with a clear, ambitious vision
• Good support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Well-designed early years provision that prepares children for Year 1
• Broad curriculum enriched by visits, clubs, music, sport and leadership roles
• Effective pastoral support for pupils' emotional wellbeing
• Pupils achieve broadly in line with national averages, including disadvantaged pupils
• Catholic ethos and inclusive, caring environment permeate school life
• Staff wellbeing and workload are carefully considered by leaders and governors

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, the curriculum lacks precision about what pupils should know and the order in which they should learn it
• Pupils do not always develop detailed knowledge or understand how key concepts link together across some subjects
• Teachers do not always use assessment information effectively within lessons to shape their teaching
• Misconceptions are not always addressed swiftly, and opportunities to extend and deepen pupils' knowledge are sometimes missed

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 Chad's Catholic Primary School attended 97.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 1.7% 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 Chad's Catholic 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 Chad's Catholic Primary School had 22.2 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, 20.1% of pupils at St Chad's Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% 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 Chad's Catholic Primary School received £7,611 and spent £7,853 for each of its 139 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £10,000 (£69 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 Chad's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Chad's Catholic Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was St Chad's Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Chad's Catholic Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does St Chad's Catholic Primary School have?

St Chad's Catholic Primary School has 139 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Chad's Catholic Primary School cover?

St Chad's Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are St Chad's Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Chad's Catholic Primary School?

St Chad's Catholic Primary School is at South Hill, Blackburn Road, Chorley, Lancashire, PR6 8LL.