Leyland Methodist Infant School

Leyland Methodist Infant School is a happy, inclusive infant school where pupils feel well cared for and behave well. Inspectors found strong relationships between staff, pupils and families, and pupils typically achieve well across a range of subjects, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Reading is a clear priority and is taught consistently and expertly, helping pupils become accurate and confident readers by the end of Year 2. The curriculum is generally well ordered, personal development is well constructed, and trust leaders and governors provide clear direction and hold the school to account effectively. The main areas for improvement are limited but specific. In a small number of subjects, the refined curriculum is recent, so some pupils in Years 1 and 2 have gaps in prior knowledge that are not always addressed, which can slow how securely they build understanding over time. The school also needs to give greater priority to early transcription, particularly pencil grip and accurate letter formation, because too many children do not secure these skills early enough, slowing their development as fluent writers. This was the school’s first section 5 inspection. It is an infant academy within the Epworth Education Trust and is federated with Leyland Methodist Junior School. Since September 2024, schools have not received an overall effectiveness grade, but the school was judged good in each inspected area. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and staff report feeling valued and well supported in managing workload and change.

Strengths

• Pupils and staff are proud of their inclusive and happy school.
• Strong, supportive relationships are built with pupils and families.
• Pupils behave well and the school is calm with little disruption to learning.
• Pupils, including those with SEND, typically achieve well across a range of subjects.
• The curriculum is well ordered and refinements are having a positive impact.
• Reading is at the heart of the curriculum and phonics is delivered consistently and expertly.
• Pupils with SEND are supported extremely well and barriers are identified accurately.
• The personal development programme helps pupils understand health, safety and differences between people and families.
• Pupils have a broad range of experiences and leadership opportunities.
• Trust leaders and governors have a clear shared vision and hold the school to account well.
• Staff feel valued and supported with workload and well-being.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, the refined curriculum is new and gaps in pupils’ prior knowledge sometimes go unaddressed.
• Early transcription, including pencil grip and accurate letter formation, is not prioritised with sufficient rigour.
• Too many children do not secure effective pencil grip and letter formation early enough, slowing their progress as fluent writers.

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 Leyland Methodist Infant School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.9% 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 Leyland Methodist Infant 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 Leyland Methodist Infant School had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% 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, 8.3% of pupils at Leyland Methodist Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.6% 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 2024–25 Leyland Methodist Infant School received £7,512 and spent £7,217 for each of its 176 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £179,000 (£1,020 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Epworth Education Trust, income was £7,330 and spending £7,127 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 Leyland · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

Leyland Methodist Infant School is part of Epworth Education Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Leyland Methodist Junior School Leyland
• Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School Leigh
• Summerseat Methodist Primary School Bury
• Bedford Hall Methodist Primary School Leigh
• Wesley Methodist Primary School Manchester
• Nutgrove Methodist Primary School St Helens
• Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School Burnley
• Hey-with-Zion Primary School Oldham
• Rosehill Methodist Primary Academy Ashton-Under-Lyne
• Bakewell Methodist Academy Bakewell

What is Leyland Methodist Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Leyland Methodist Infant School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Leyland Methodist Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Leyland Methodist Infant School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Leyland Methodist Infant School have?

Leyland Methodist Infant School has 156 pupils on roll.

What age range does Leyland Methodist Infant School cover?

Leyland Methodist Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Leyland Methodist Infant School?

Leyland Methodist Infant School is at Canberra Road, Leyland, Lancashire, PR25 3ET.