Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge

Cuerden Church School in Bamber Bridge is performing well as a good school, continuing to uphold its values of love, hope, and respect which foster a positive learning environment. Pupils demonstrate strong behavior, support one another, and display a keen interest in their education, leading to good academic achievements across various subjects. The leadership team has established a curriculum that supports all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), promoting a sense of safety and community among the students.

Strengths

• Positive learning environment where pupils feel happy and cared for.
• Pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.
• Strong behavior management and respect among pupils.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND, ensuring their needs are met.
• High priority given to teaching reading, fostering a love for books.
• Wide range of extracurricular activities that develop pupil leadership skills.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers unclear about essential knowledge in a few subjects, leading to gaps in learning.
• Minority of staff need additional support in delivering the new phonics curriculum consistently.

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 Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.8% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge 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 Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge had 25.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.4% 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, 30.3% of pupils at Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.5% 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 Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge received £6,972 and spent £7,015 for each of its 195 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £86,000 (£440 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 Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge last inspected by Ofsted?

Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge have?

Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge has 195 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge cover?

Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge?

Cuerden Church School, Bamber Bridge is at Station Road, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancashire, PR5 6ED.