School Chooser

Abbey Village Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil52 pupilsNurseryChorleyLancashire
School Chooser Score
8
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 4 to 22
Out of 100. Better than 19% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2024
Reached the expected level at 1180%England 63%
Attendance93.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families23%About the same as most schools in England
Places67 spare52 pupils, 119 places
Pupils per teacher14.9School workforce census

Abbey Village Primary School is a council school in Chorley for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 52 pupils and room for 119. About 23 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 9 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 19% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Bolton Road, Abbey Village, Chorley, PR6 8DD01254 830489abbeyvillage.lancs.sch.ukMrs Shelley Bennett headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 12 March 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
7 July 2022UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

10 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1180%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level20%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 71%71%20172018: 63%63%20182019: 42%42%20192023: 67%67%20232024: 71%71%20242025: 80%80%2025
Since 2017: +9%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LancashireEngland
Pupils tested10761287
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths80%71%67%42%63%71%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths20%14%17%8%0%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0114.0106.0101.0106.0104.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0106.0101.0100.0101.0102.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0110.0104.0102.0104.0102.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard80%86%67%58%88%71%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard90%71%67%67%63%86%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)80%86%67%75%88%86%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.8+1.0-2.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.7-3.4+0.1

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places55 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
52% full

50 places were empty (48% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 15% since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Lancashire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll52Census January 2026
Places11944% full
Pupils from low-income families23%23% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English10%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%7 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%0 pupils with a plan
Average class size17.33 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)30%£24,800 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls32 / 20
White British pupils81%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (2), language and communications needs (2), Hearing impairment (1), Other difficulty or disability (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll525452514856
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals23%15%19%26%25%20%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language10%4%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%14%20%13%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%4%4%4%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school23.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.8%5.8%3.5%4.6%2.2%5.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.5%5.1%2.6%4.3%1.8%4.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%0.7%0.9%0.3%0.5%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence23.1%8.5%0.0%4.4%2.0%11.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.015.70.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers3.5full-time equivalent, 4 people
Pupils per teacher14.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,976
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.92021/22

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£9,828England £7,738. Total £531k
Income per pupil£10,086England £7,697. Total £545k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,578England £3,480
Money in reserve-2%In the red: -£8,452, -£157 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£14kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£9,828spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m2412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate38 per 1,000 people58% lower than the England average
Typical house price£220,000Chorley
Nearest bus stop70 mPrimary School, 7 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, WithnellRoman Catholic0.6 miles92Outstanding 201990Compare
St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England1.3 miles56Report card 202635Compare
Brinscall St John's CofE and Methodist Primary SchoolChurch of England/Methodist1.4 miles183Good 202480Compare
Withnell Fold Primary SchoolCouncil1.9 miles83Not inspected30Compare
Feniscowles Primary SchoolCouncil1.9 miles417Good 202334Compare
St Paul's Roman Catholic Primary School, Feniscowles, BlackburnRoman Catholic2.1 miles216Not inspected51Compare
Livesey Saint Francis' Church of England SchoolChurch of England2.3 miles173Good 202345Compare
St Cuthbert's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.5 miles184Requires improvement 20242Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Abbey Village Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats19%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 9 is 30 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 38 · highest 96100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 9 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 9% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 4 to 22. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.56
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.21
2024/25; 52 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Abbey Village Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Abbey Village Primary School scores 9 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 19% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 4 to 22, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Abbey Village Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Abbey Village Primary School good at its last full inspection on 12 March 2024.

How good are Abbey Village Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 80% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 20% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Abbey Village Primary School have?

52 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 119 places, so it is 44% full.

Is Abbey Village Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 50 places were empty in 2024/25 (48% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Abbey Village Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 23% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Abbey Village Primary School?

The average class had 17.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Bolton Road, Abbey Village, Chorley, PR6 8DD
Telephone
01254 830489
Website
www.abbeyvillage.lancs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Shelley Bennett
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Lancashire
Ward
Chorley North East
Constituency
Chorley
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
119307 · LAESTAB 8882565 · UKPRN 10069913

Where these figures come from