School Chooser

Sherwood Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil425 pupilsPrestonLancashire
School Chooser Score
99
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 97 to 100
Out of 100. Better than 85% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, October 2024
Reached the expected level at 1186%England 63%
Attendance96.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families10%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull425 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher23.4School workforce census

Sherwood Primary School is a council school in Preston for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 425 pupils, 5 more than it has places for. About 10 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 99 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 85% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Sherwood Way, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9GA01772 719093sherwood.lancs.sch.ukMrs Jodie Lumb headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 29 October 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”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1186%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level28%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score111.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score110.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 87%87%20172018: 85%85%20182019: 85%85%20192023: 77%77%20232024: 87%87%20242025: 86%86%2025
Since 2017: -1%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LancashireEngland
Pupils tested646262606060
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths86%87%77%85%85%87%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths28%26%23%20%22%13%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score111.0109.0108.0108.0108.0108.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score110.0109.0106.0108.0109.0108.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score113.0111.0109.0111.0109.0110.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard92%94%85%92%90%90%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard95%90%85%87%92%95%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)88%90%85%93%93%93%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.8+2.0+2.5+3.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.1+1.9+3.8+3.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%83%56%82%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged90%88%81%88%

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 4 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
50%90%
Gap 40 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
78%92%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
86%86%
No gapEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%28%
Gap 28 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.

Full428 pupils for 419 places, 2024/25
102% full

The school is full, with 9 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 roll425Census January 2026
Places420101% full
Pupils from low-income families10%10% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English53%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%50 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.414 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils36%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)10%£63,550 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls223 / 202
White British pupils37%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.9 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (14), language and communications needs (13), emotional and mental health (11), Specific learning difficulty (9), Physical disability (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll425427426425421422
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals10%10%8%8%7%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language53%50%48%46%30%29%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%11%9%8%4%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, 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 absence3.8%4.2%4.2%4.6%2.0%2.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%3.3%3.4%4.2%1.7%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%0.9%0.8%0.4%0.3%0.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.0%8.6%6.2%6.3%1.4%1.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.20.20.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers18.2full-time equivalent, 19 people
Pupils per teacher23.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants12.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,689
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.72024/25

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£6,291England £7,738. Total £2.7m
Income per pupil£6,192England £7,697. Total £2.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,867England £3,480
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £160k, £374 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£42kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,291spent 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 m12612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate112 per 1,000 people23% higher than the England average
Typical house price£200,000Preston
Nearest bus stop50 mThe Sherwood, 9 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 Clare's Catholic Primary School, PrestonAcademy460 m279Report card 202680Compare
Fulwood, St Peter's Church of England Primary School and NurseryChurch of England610 m227Good 202487Compare
Lancashire Education Medical ServicesMiscellaneous620 mNot inspectedCompare
The Olive School, PrestonFree school0.9 miles421Not inspected95Compare
Kennington Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles246Good 202446Compare
Queen's Drive Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles434No overall grade 202480Compare
Longsands Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles213Report card 202532Compare
Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, PrestonAcademy1.0 miles216Report card 202683Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Sherwood 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.

Beats85%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 99 is 7 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 54 · middle 92 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 99 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 99% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 97 to 100. 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%well above
+0.41
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 64 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 1.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.11
DfE progress measure; 64 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.10
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.10
2024/25; 370 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.15
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 64 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 Sherwood Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Sherwood Primary School scores 99 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 85% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 97 to 100, 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 Sherwood Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Sherwood Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 29 October 2024.

How good are Sherwood Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 86% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 28% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Sherwood Primary School have?

425 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 101% full.

Is Sherwood Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 9 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Sherwood Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.2% 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 Sherwood Primary School?

The average class had 30.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 36% 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
Sherwood Way, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9GA
Telephone
01772 719093
Website
www.sherwood.lancs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Jodie Lumb
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Lancashire
Ward
Sharoe Green
Constituency
Ribble Valley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
119339 · LAESTAB 8882818 · UKPRN 10069897

Where these figures come from