School Chooser

English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston

Primary · ages 3-11MixedRoman Catholic229 pupilsNurseryPrestonLancashire
School Chooser Score
20
Below
similar schools
Likely range 10 to 41
Out of 100. Better than 11% 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 1141%England 63%
Attendance91.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families19%A bit fewer than most schools
Places7 spare229 pupils, 236 places
Pupils per teacher25.4School workforce census

English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Preston for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 229 pupils and room for 236. About 19 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 20 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 11% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Sizer Street, Preston, PR1 7DR01772 556092englishmartyrs.lancs.sch.ukMrs Annalisa Howarth 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

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

Reached the expected level at 1141%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level6%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 55%55%20172018: 63%63%20182019: 62%62%20192023: 41%41%20232024: 60%60%20242025: 41%41%2025
Since 2017: -14%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LancashireEngland
Pupils tested323032293029
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths41%60%41%62%63%55%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths6%7%3%7%7%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0101.0104.0102.0101.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0106.0102.0105.0104.0101.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0106.0102.0103.0102.0102.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard88%80%44%76%67%62%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard72%80%66%90%80%59%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)50%67%69%76%70%69%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.9+1.7-0.4-2.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.2+1.5+2.5-1.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged19%63%31%29%62%41%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged63%59%47%73%65%75%

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 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
19%63%
Gap 44 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
53%27%
Gap 26 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
71%41%
Gap 30 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%6%
Gap 6 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 Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Full210 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
100% full

The school is full. 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 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 roll229Census January 2026
Places23697% full
Pupils from low-income families19%19% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English41%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%52 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.68 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils25%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)19%£62,000 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls118 / 111
White British pupils29%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (25), emotional and mental health (18), Moderate learning difficulty (8), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Severe learning difficulty (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll229236237227228220
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals19%23%24%27%29%25%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language41%41%41%39%41%45%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support23%22%19%3%4%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%3%4%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance91.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school24.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils5.92024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission2.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence8.3%9.1%9.7%9.5%4.6%6.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.5%4.9%5.0%5.9%3.0%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.8%4.2%4.7%3.7%1.7%2.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence24.6%32.6%31.9%30.9%12.6%21.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate5.910.60.911.48.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.0full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher25.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,488
Teachers who left in the year26%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher24.82023/24

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£6,590England £7,738. Total £1.6m
Income per pupil£6,589England £7,697. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,746England £3,480
Money in reserve3%Very little put by: £45k, £190 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£277it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,590spent 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 m1,21812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate179 per 1,000 people96% higher than the England average
Typical house price£200,000Preston
Nearest bus stop150 mBrook Building, 24 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 Ignatius' Catholic Primary School, PrestonAcademy740 m193Good 2022Compare
The Roebuck SchoolCouncil0.6 miles340Report card 202610Compare
Deepdale Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles696Report card 202633Compare
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, PrestonAcademy0.8 miles209Good 202314Compare
The Olive School, PrestonFree school0.9 miles421Not inspected95Compare
St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, PrestonRoman Catholic1.0 miles206Good 202366Compare
Kennington Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles246Good 202446Compare
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, PrestonAcademy1.0 miles273Report card 202651Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats11%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 20 is 31 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 51 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston, 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
Griffin Park Primary SchoolCouncil8.5 miles232Good 202258Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 20 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 20% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 10 to 41. 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%below
-0.10
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 32 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
-0.06
DfE progress measure; 32 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.02
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.17
2024/25; 187 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 32 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 English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston a good school?

The figures are weak. English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston scores 20 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 11% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 10 to 41, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston good at its last full inspection on 29 March 2023.

How good are English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 41% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 6% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston have?

229 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 236 places, so it is 97% full.

Is English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston oversubscribed?

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

What is attendance like at English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston?

Pupils were in school 91.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 25% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Preston?

The average class had 28.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 25% 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
Sizer Street, Preston, PR1 7DR
Telephone
01772 556092
Website
www.englishmartyrs.lancs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Annalisa Howarth
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Lancaster
Local authority
Lancashire
Ward
Plungington
Constituency
Preston
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
119605 · LAESTAB 8883639 · UKPRN 10072703

Where these figures come from