School Chooser

Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England198 pupilsPrestonLancashire
School Chooser Score
98
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 95 to 100
Out of 100. Better than 94% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedOutstandingLast Ofsted inspection, November 2023
Reached the expected level at 1181%England 63%
Attendance96.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families7%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull198 pupils, 175 places
Pupils per teacher23.7School workforce census

Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Preston for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 198 pupils, 23 more than it has places for. About 7 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 98 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 94% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2023.

Jepps Avenue, Barton, Preston, PR3 5AS01772 862664st-lawrence.lancs.sch.ukMr Richard Crook headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 November 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

26 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1181%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level35%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score110.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score110.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 71%71%20172018: 89%89%20182019: 88%88%20192023: 86%86%20232024: 93%93%20242025: 81%81%2025
Since 2017: +10%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LancashireEngland
Pupils tested262828161821
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths81%93%86%88%89%71%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths35%21%25%38%39%19%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score110.0109.0111.0109.0110.0103.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score110.0111.0109.0111.0110.0107.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0111.0110.0114.0114.0110.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard88%100%96%94%89%81%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard88%100%96%94%94%90%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)92%93%89%88%89%81%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.6-0.1+0.1-5.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.1+1.4+0.7-1.8

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.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
87%73%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Full193 pupils for 175 places, 2024/25
110% full

The school is full, with 18 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have grown by 3% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

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 roll198Census January 2026
Places175113% full
Pupils from low-income families7%7% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English5%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%25 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.37 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils14%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)7%£20,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls114 / 84
White British pupils81%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (18), Specific learning difficulty (2), language and communications needs (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Hearing impairment (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll198193192195185189
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals7%5%5%5%5%3%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language5%6%6%9%7%8%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support7%8%7%4%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school3.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.8%4.0%4.5%3.8%1.6%2.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.2%3.5%4.1%3.5%1.5%1.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.6%0.5%0.5%0.4%0.1%0.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence3.5%6.1%7.7%8.5%0.6%1.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.50.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00100

Staff and money

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

Teachers8.4full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher23.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,692
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.72023/24

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£5,781England £7,738. Total £1.1m
Income per pupil£5,833England £7,697. Total £1.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,828England £3,480
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £114k, £589 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£10kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,781spent 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 m3212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate60 per 1,000 people35% lower than the England average
Typical house price£200,000Preston
Nearest bus stop240 mBarton Grange Hotel, 4 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 Mary and St Andrew's Catholic Primary School, Barton NewshamAcademy0.7 miles135No overall grade 2024Compare
Broughton-in-Amounderness Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.5 miles378No overall grade 202495Compare
Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.7 miles84Good 202366Compare
Woodplumpton St Anne's CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.1 miles107Good 202258Compare
Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, PrestonAcademy2.4 miles216Report card 202683Compare
Catforth Primary SchoolCouncil2.6 miles100Good 202340Compare
Goosnargh Oliverson's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.6 miles199Good 202472Compare
Harris Primary SchoolCouncil2.6 miles246Report card 202633Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Barton St Lawrence Church of England 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.

Beats94%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 98 is 26 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 15 · middle 72 · highest 99100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 98 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 98% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 95 to 100. 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 years25%well above
+0.31
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 26 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 2.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.18
DfE progress measure; 26 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.03
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.12
2024/25; 171 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.22
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 26 pupils
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 Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School scores 98 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 94% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 95 to 100, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School outstanding at its last full inspection on 28 November 2023.

How good are Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 81% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 35% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School have?

198 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 175 places, so it is 113% full.

Is Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 18 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 4% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 28.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 14% of classes 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
Jepps Avenue, Barton, Preston, PR3 5AS
Telephone
01772 862664
Website
www.st-lawrence.lancs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Richard Crook
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Blackburn
Local authority
Lancashire
Ward
Preston Rural North
Constituency
Ribble Valley
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
119562 · LAESTAB 8883577 · UKPRN 10080221

Where these figures come from