School Chooser

Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Primary · ages 5-11MixedChurch of England187 pupilsColneLancashire
School Chooser Score
55
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 29 to 77
Out of 100. Better than 57% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, March 2023
Reached the expected level at 1161%England 63%
Attendance96.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families18%A bit fewer than most schools
Places2 spare187 pupils, 189 places
Pupils per teacher20.3School workforce census

Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Colne for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 187 pupils and room for 189. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 55 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 57% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Bent Lane, Colne, BB8 7AA01282 865398colnechristchurch.co.ukAndrew Embley-Peers headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 29 March 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1161%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level9%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 52%52%20172018: 79%79%20182019: 56%56%20192023: 64%64%20232024: 68%68%20242025: 61%61%2025
Since 2017: +9%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LancashireEngland
Pupils tested232828252425
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths61%68%64%56%79%52%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths9%11%4%16%8%8%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0106.0106.0104.0105.0102.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0104.0104.0106.0105.0103.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0106.0103.0105.0104.0103.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard78%79%75%64%83%64%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard70%75%75%92%88%80%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)78%79%75%80%96%80%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.3-1.4-0.8-2.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.6-0.5-0.3-0.2

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
67%59%
Gap 8 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.

A few spare places187 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
89% full

About 23 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same 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 roll187Census January 2026
Places18999% full
Pupils from low-income families18%18% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%31 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%12 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.85 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils20%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)17%£49,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls97 / 90
White British pupils93%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (15), language and communications needs (12), emotional and mental health (8), Other difficulty or disability (7), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll187186188185184188
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals18%19%18%13%13%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%2%1%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support18%16%16%16%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%6%4%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school8.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.0%4.6%3.8%4.1%2.3%2.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.2%3.5%3.0%3.5%1.9%2.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%1.1%0.8%0.6%0.3%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence8.7%7.4%6.8%4.9%4.2%3.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.50.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.2full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher20.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,095
Teachers who left in the year7%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.52024/25

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£7,285England £7,738. Total £1.4m
Income per pupil£7,405England £7,697. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,326England £3,480
Money in reserve12%A healthy amount put by: £165k, £885 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£22kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,285spent 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 m2312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate40 per 1,000 people56% lower than the England average
Typical house price£143,000Pendle
Nearest bus stop170 mBent Lane, 6 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
Park Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles319Good 202248Compare
Laneshaw Bridge PrimaryAcademy0.9 miles204Outstanding 202394Compare
West Street Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles181No overall grade 20256Compare
Trawden Forest Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles193Good 202379Compare
Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England1.1 miles175Good 202447Compare
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy1.2 miles216Not inspected91Compare
Colne Lord Street SchoolAcademy1.5 miles327Good 202340Compare
Colne Primet Primary SchoolCouncil2.0 miles185Good 202334Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats57%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 55 is 3 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 52 · highest 95100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Wellfield Methodist and Anglican Church SchoolChurch of England/Methodist6.6 miles208Good 202373Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 55 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 55% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 29 to 77. 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%in line
0.00
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 23 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.02
DfE progress measure; 23 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.07
2024/25; 161 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 23 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 Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School scores 55 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 57% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 29 to 77, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School good at its last full inspection on 29 March 2023.

How good are Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 61% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 9% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have?

187 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 189 places, so it is 99% full.

Is Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 23 places were empty in 2024/25 (11% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?

The average class had 26.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 20% 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
Bent Lane, Colne, BB8 7AA
Telephone
01282 865398
Website
www.colnechristchurch.co.uk
Headteacher
Andrew Embley-Peers
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Blackburn
Local authority
Lancashire
Ward
Boulsworth & Foulridge
Constituency
Pendle and Clitheroe
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
119433 · LAESTAB 8883325 · UKPRN 10073463

Where these figures come from