School Chooser

Great Wood Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil406 pupilsMorecambeLancashire
School Chooser Score
79
Above
similar schools
Likely range 63 to 88
Out of 100. Better than 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, November 2022
Reached the expected level at 1173%England 63%
Attendance96.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families10%Far fewer than most schools
Places14 spare406 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher23.0School workforce census

Great Wood Primary School is a council school in Morecambe for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 406 pupils and room for 420. About 10 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 79 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Beaufort Road, Morecambe, LA4 6UB01524 416971greatwood.lancs.sch.ukMr John Ross headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 4 November 2022 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

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

Reached the expected level at 1173%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level17%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
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: 67%67%20172018: 74%74%20182019: 78%78%20192023: 74%74%20232024: 77%77%20242025: 73%73%2025
Since 2017: +6%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LancashireEngland
Pupils tested606061555043
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths73%77%74%78%74%67%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths17%8%11%18%8%9%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0107.0106.0106.0105.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0106.0106.0107.0105.0103.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0106.0104.0107.0106.0107.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard77%85%82%80%80%81%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard85%78%84%89%88%79%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)85%87%80%91%82%84%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.3+1.3+1.6+1.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.4+1.8+1.8-0.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged54%50%67%60%38%38%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged79%82%76%82%81%74%

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
54%79%
Gap 25 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
70%77%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%17%
Gap 17 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.

Nearly full409 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
97% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. 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 roll406Census January 2026
Places42097% full
Pupils from low-income families10%10% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support22%88 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.49 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils11%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)8%£51,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls175 / 231
White British pupils96%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (38), language and communications needs (23), Specific learning difficulty (21), Physical disability (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll406410415413416415
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals10%10%10%10%11%10%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%1%1%2%2%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%14%16%7%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.52024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission0.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.5%3.7%4.2%4.2%1.9%3.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%3.0%3.5%3.9%1.8%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.5%0.6%0.7%0.4%0.2%0.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.0%4.5%7.3%6.9%3.3%4.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.50.20.71.01.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

Staff and money

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

Teachers17.6full-time equivalent, 24 people
Pupils per teacher23.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers96%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants13.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,348
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.32024/25

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£6,314England £7,738. Total £2.6m
Income per pupil£6,335England £7,697. Total £2.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,043England £3,480
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £257k, £628 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£8,800it took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,314spent 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 m10212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate84 per 1,000 people8% lower than the England average
Typical house price£200,000Lancaster
Nearest bus stop20 mAzalea Grove, 26 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
Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary SchoolCouncil470 m413No overall grade 202571Compare
Lancaster Road Primary SchoolCouncil880 m478Report card 20264Compare
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, MorecambeRoman Catholic0.7 miles150Requires improvement 20246Compare
Poulton-le-Sands Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England0.9 miles165Report card 20268Compare
Morecambe and Heysham Grosvenor Park Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles320Good 202359Compare
Morecambe Bay Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles276Report card 20261Compare
Morecambe and Heysham Westgate Primary SchoolCouncil1.3 miles491Requires improvement 20246Compare
Lancaster Ryelands Primary SchoolCouncil1.3 miles362Report card 202643Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Great Wood Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats80%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 79 is 16 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 63 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 79 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 79% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 63 to 88. 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%above
+0.13
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 60 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.09
DfE progress measure; 60 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.12
2024/25; 358 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 60 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 Great Wood Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Great Wood Primary School scores 79 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 63 to 88, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Great Wood Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Great Wood Primary School good at its last full inspection on 4 November 2022.

How good are Great Wood Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 73% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 17% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Great Wood Primary School have?

406 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 97% full.

Is Great Wood Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Great Wood Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Great Wood Primary School?

The average class had 29.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 11% 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
Beaufort Road, Morecambe, LA4 6UB
Telephone
01524 416971
Website
www.greatwood.lancs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr John Ross
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Lancashire
Ward
Bare
Constituency
Morecambe and Lunesdale
Setting
Urban: Further from a major town or city
URN
119311 · LAESTAB 8882576 · UKPRN 10069910

Where these figures come from