School Chooser

Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedFoundation195 pupilsPrestonLancashire
School Chooser Score
68
Above
similar schools
Likely range 43 to 85, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, September 2022
Reached the expected level at 1173%England 63%
Attendance95.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families22%A bit fewer than most schools
Places15 spare195 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher20.0School workforce census

Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School is a foundation school in Preston for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 195 pupils and room for 210. About 22 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 68 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Pope Lane, Penwortham, Preston, PR1 9DE01772 749511broadoak.lancs.sch.ukMiss Sarah Barton headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 22 September 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

30 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 level13%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 50%50%20172018: 57%57%20182019: 83%83%20192023: 70%70%20232024: 37%37%20242025: 73%73%2025
Since 2017: +23%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LancashireEngland
Pupils tested302727293026
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths73%37%70%83%57%50%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths13%4%15%10%3%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0104.0108.0106.0106.0103.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0102.0106.0108.0104.0101.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0102.0107.0108.0104.0102.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard83%67%89%86%80%58%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard80%63%78%90%73%65%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)87%63%85%86%70%65%
Reading progressReading progress score+4.1+2.1+0.9-0.8
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.9+3.5+0.0-1.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged67%13%50%82%50%35%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged75%47%87%83%60%78%

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. 1 of the 3 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
67%75%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
82%62%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%13%
Gap 13 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 full204 pupils for 210 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 grown by 7% 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 roll195Census January 2026
Places21093% full
Pupils from low-income families22%22% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English8%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%35 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%12 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.97 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)20%£63,550 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls107 / 88
White British pupils76%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (19), emotional and mental health (12), Specific learning difficulty (9), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Profound and multiple learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll195206201198192187
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals22%22%20%21%23%27%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language8%9%10%7%8%8%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%14%14%15%21%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school14.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils9.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.6%4.6%6.1%5.9%3.8%4.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.7%3.9%5.2%5.3%3.0%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%0.7%0.9%0.6%0.7%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence14.4%12.0%13.4%15.2%12.1%9.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate9.70.55.11.00.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions01000

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.8full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher20.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,812
Teachers who left in the year4%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher8.42024/25

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£6,520England £7,738. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£6,610England £7,697. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,175England £3,480
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £150k, £728 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£19kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,520spent 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 m44012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate103 per 1,000 people13% higher than the England average
Typical house price£216,000South Ribble
Nearest bus stop120 mKingsfold Drive, 14 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
Kingsfold Primary SchoolCouncil660 m126Good 202212Compare
Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, PenworthamChurch of England840 m196Good 202456Compare
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England970 m204Good 202340Compare
Whitefield Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles338Good 202356Compare
St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic0.9 miles175Requires improvement 202414Compare
Howick Church Endowed Primary SchoolChurch of England1.1 miles103Report card 202692Compare
Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.1 miles282Good 202375Compare
Penwortham Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles201Report card 202616Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Penwortham Broad Oak 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.

Beats71%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 68 is 14 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 54 · highest 95100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 68 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 68% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 43 to 85. 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%in line
+0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.19
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 181 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.02
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 Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School scores 68 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 43 to 85, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School good at its last full inspection on 22 September 2022.

How good are Penwortham Broad Oak 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%. 13% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School have?

195 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 93% full.

Is Penwortham Broad Oak 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 Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School?

The average class had 27.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
Pope Lane, Penwortham, Preston, PR1 9DE
Telephone
01772 749511
Website
www.broadoak.lancs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Miss Sarah Barton
Type of school
Foundation school (Foundation school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Trust
Axia Learning Alliance (4 schools)
Local authority
Lancashire
Ward
Middleforth
Constituency
South Ribble
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
119337 · LAESTAB 8882815 · UKPRN 10069898

Where these figures come from