School Chooser

Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England218 pupilsPrestonLancashire
School Chooser Score
86
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 70 to 93, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 61% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, November 2024
Reached the expected level at 1177%England 63%
Attendance96.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families7%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull218 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher22.9School workforce census

Grimsargh St Michael's 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 218 pupils, 8 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 86 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 61% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Preston Road, Grimsargh, Preston, PR2 5SD01772 653600grimsargh-st-michaels.lancs.sch.ukMr Stuart Booth headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

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

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1177%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level7%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score108.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 89%89%20172018: 94%94%20182019: 81%81%20192023: 67%67%20232024: 72%72%20242025: 77%77%2025
Since 2017: -12%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LancashireEngland
Pupils tested302930263127
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths77%72%67%81%94%89%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%17%10%27%32%22%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0109.0106.0108.0111.0109.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score108.0107.0105.0108.0111.0109.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0109.0108.0109.0112.0112.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard93%93%73%85%100%89%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard93%90%83%92%97%96%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)87%79%80%88%97%96%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.1+1.2+3.7+2.6
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.9+1.3+4.0+3.0

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
65%92%
Gap 27 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
67%77%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 4 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.

Full213 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
101% full

The school is full, with 3 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 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 roll218Census January 2026
Places210104% full
Pupils from low-income families7%7% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English9%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%30 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size31.17 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils43%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)6%£21,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls110 / 108
White British pupils86%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 32.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (20), emotional and mental health (6), language and communications needs (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll218213206206208211
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals7%7%5%7%8%6%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language9%9%3%2%1%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%9%8%7%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%2%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.42024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.3%3.3%3.6%3.0%3.3%2.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.4%2.6%2.9%2.8%3.2%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%0.6%0.8%0.3%0.1%0.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.9%6.1%6.6%3.3%9.4%2.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.43.40.52.42.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.5full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher22.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,245
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.62024/25

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£5,913England £7,738. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£5,983England £7,697. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,835England £3,480
Money in reserve8%Not much put by: £100k, £471 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£15kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,913spent 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 m6312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate59 per 1,000 people35% lower than the England average
Typical house price£200,000Preston
Nearest bus stop40 mSt Michaels Church, 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
Alston Lane Catholic Primary School, LongridgeAcademy1.2 miles235Good 202247Compare
St Maria Goretti Catholic Primary School, PrestonAcademy1.4 miles196Good 2024Compare
Preston Grange Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles183Report card 202612Compare
Brookfield Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles196Good 202261Compare
Moor Nook Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.8 miles187Good 20223Compare
Longsands Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.8 miles213Report card 202532Compare
The Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School, PrestonAcademy1.9 miles393Report card 20262Compare
Preston Greenlands Community Primary SchoolCouncil2.0 miles191No overall grade 202519Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary School 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.

Beats61%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 86 is 8 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 24 · middle 78 · highest 99100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 86 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 86% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 70 to 93. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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
+0.19
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.12
Ofsted grade, 1.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.04
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.09
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.11
2024/25; 187 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 30 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 Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary School scores 86 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 61% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 70 to 93, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 12 November 2024.

How good are Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 77% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 7% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary School have?

218 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 104% full.

Is Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 3 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 31.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 43% 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
Preston Road, Grimsargh, Preston, PR2 5SD
Telephone
01772 653600
Website
www.grimsargh-st-michaels.lancs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Stuart Booth
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 East
Constituency
Ribble Valley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
119565 · LAESTAB 8883580 · UKPRN 10080220

Where these figures come from