Burscough Priory Academy

Burscough Priory Academy has shown a commendable level of performance in its first inspection since becoming an academy, receiving a 'Good' rating overall. The school is fostering a positive and supportive learning environment, where students feel safe and valued. Leaders and staff have established a broad and ambitious curriculum that aligns well with national standards, ensuring that pupils are well-prepared for their future education. A notable strength is the effective pastoral support, which aids students in overcoming personal challenges and contributes to their well-being.

Strengths

• High expectations of pupil behavior
• Positive climate for learning
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum
• Effective pastoral support for students
• Strong subject knowledge from teachers
• Good reading support leading to confident readers
• Strong safeguarding culture

Areas for Improvement

• Limited depth in curriculum for some subjects in Years 7 and 8
• Insufficient analysis of behavior data to spot patterns

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 Burscough Priory Academy attended 92.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 8.9% of pupils at Burscough Priory Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Burscough Priory Academy had 17.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 15.9% of pupils at Burscough Priory Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Burscough Priory Academy received £7,676 and spent £7,576 for each of its 712 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,182,000 (£1,659 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Endeavour Learning Trust, income was £7,792 and spending £7,806 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Ormskirk · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

Burscough Priory Academy is part of Endeavour Learning Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Ormskirk School Ormskirk
• Tarleton Academy Preston
• Churchtown Primary School Southport
• Linaker Primary School Southport
• Woodlea Junior School Leyland
• Northbrook Primary Academy Leyland
• Wellfield Academy Leyland
• Strike Lane Primary School Preston
• Brindle Gregson Lane Primary School Preston
• Hawes Side Academy Blackpool

What is Burscough Priory Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Burscough Priory Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Burscough Priory Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Burscough Priory Academy was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Burscough Priory Academy have?

Burscough Priory Academy has 729 pupils on roll.

What age range does Burscough Priory Academy cover?

Burscough Priory Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Burscough Priory Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.6, and 38% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Burscough Priory Academy?

Burscough Priory Academy is at Trevor Road, Burscough, Ormskirk, L40 7RZ.