Brookfield Park Primary School

Brookfield Park Primary School is a smaller-than-average primary school in an area of above-average deprivation, with high proportions of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEN support. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils say they feel safe, but the school has been judged to require special measures because it is not providing an acceptable standard of education and leaders and governors have not shown the capacity to secure the necessary improvement. Early years and personal development are relative strengths. Children learn well in Reception, staff support their communication, phonics, number and social development, and pupils benefit from pastoral care, clubs and a programme that develops wellbeing, British values and aspirations. Pupils generally behave well, bullying is rare and is handled swiftly, and the school's own resourced provision for pupils with multiple SEND works well. However, attendance is poor, persistent absence is high, and many pupils miss too much learning. Across the wider school, achievement, curriculum and teaching, leadership and governance, and inclusion are serious weaknesses. Pupils do not make the progress they should across a broad curriculum, especially in subjects beyond English and mathematics, and they are ill-prepared for Year 7 in some subjects. Reading, writing, phonics, handwriting and multiplication tables are not secure, teachers' expectations are too low, and misconceptions are not addressed well. Leaders lack oversight, the curriculum is narrowed, the school day is too short to meet DfE expectations, and governors do not hold leaders to account. SEND and disadvantaged pupils are particularly poorly served, and urgent action is needed to improve provision, inclusion and attendance.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and pupils who feel safe.
• Early years leaders have designed a well-thought-out curriculum that helps children learn well and be ready for Year 1.
• Early years staff support children's communication, phonics, number and social development effectively.
• Children with SEND in the early years are well supported, and barriers to learning are reduced.
• The school's own resourced provision provides a safe and suitable environment for pupils with multiple SEND.
• Pupils in the resourced provision progress well from their starting points because of a well-considered curriculum and staff expertise.
• Personal development is well planned, with pupils learning how to stay healthy and safe, including online.
• Pupils understand fundamental British values such as tolerance, respect, fairness, democracy and equality.
• Pupils value pastoral support, careers workshops, after-school clubs and educational visits that broaden their interests.
• Pupils behave well, show respect and are polite; bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly.
• Quiet areas and staff training have helped pupils manage emotions and significantly reduced suspensions.
• Most pupils known to social care are helped effectively through additional funding to overcome wellbeing barriers and develop vocabulary.
• Leaders and staff have positive relationships with parents and carers.
• Pupils enjoy school, make friends, act as peer mentors and take on responsibilities.

Areas for Improvement

• The school requires special measures because it is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education and leaders lack capacity to improve it.
• Attendance rates, including for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, are consistently below national averages.
• Persistent absence remains high, so many pupils miss substantial learning.
• Leaders' absence monitoring and support systems are not effective enough for all pupils.
• Leaders do not have high enough expectations for pupils with SEND or disadvantaged pupils.
• Processes for checking the impact of extra support for SEND and disadvantaged pupils are not consistently effective.
• Staff do not use individual plans well enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
• Pupils do not achieve well across the curriculum and do not make the progress they should.
• Pupils are ill-prepared for Year 7 in some subjects, including science, history and music.
• Pupils do not secure reading, spelling, writing, phonics, handwriting or multiplication tables early enough.
• Reading books are often not matched to pupils' reading ability.
• Leaders lack enough oversight of the curriculum and how it is taught.
• Teachers do not teach the full breadth of the national curriculum; some subjects receive scant attention.
• Teachers' expectations are too low, and they do not check learning or address errors and misconceptions well.
• Teaching is not adapted effectively to overcome pupils' barriers to learning.
• The shortened school day does not meet Department for Education recommendations and reduces learning time.
• Leaders have not prioritised the right issues or taken timely action to improve teaching and achievement.
• Leaders are not aware that the curriculum is narrowed and some subjects are not fully taught.
• Decision-making lacks urgency and sometimes does not follow national or local authority guidance.
• Part-time timetables have not been agreed by all those who should be involved.
• Governance is weak; governors do not check the quality of the school's work or hold leaders to account.
• Governors do not know how effective additional funding has been for disadvantaged pupils.
• Staff training does not support the teaching of a broad and balanced curriculum.
• Pupils are less aware of religions other than Christianity.

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 Brookfield Park Primary School attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.7% 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, 3.9% of pupils at Brookfield Park 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 Brookfield Park Primary School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.0% 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, 29.4% of pupils at Brookfield Park Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.6% 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 Brookfield Park Primary School received £8,814 and spent £8,857 for each of its 153 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £115,000 (£749 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 Skelmersdale · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Brookfield Park Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brookfield Park Primary School is Urgent improvement, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Brookfield Park Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Brookfield Park Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Brookfield Park Primary School have?

Brookfield Park Primary School has 153 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brookfield Park Primary School cover?

Brookfield Park Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Brookfield Park Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Brookfield Park Primary School?

Brookfield Park Primary School is at School Lane, Chapel House, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 8EH.