St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Garstang
St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Garstang is a converter academy in Preston for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 97 pupils and room for 175. About 19 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2021.
Castle Lane, Garstang, Preston, PR3 1RB01995 603023st-mary-st-michael.lancs.sch.ukMrs Luena Archibald headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 3 November 2021, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
14 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way. These are the results of St Mary and Michael Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025† | 2024† | 2023† | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 14 | 14 | 24 | 17 | 23 | 22 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 43% | 93% | 67% | 59% | 74% | 41% | 61% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 4% | 0% | 9% | 9% | 8% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 104.0 | 107.0 | 107.0 | 108.0 | 110.0 | 106.0 | 105.2 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 104.0 | 107.0 | 104.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 | 102.0 | 104.2 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 103.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 | 108.0 | 109.0 | 106.0 | 104.9 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 71% | 93% | 92% | 88% | 96% | 86% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 57% | 93% | 83% | 82% | 91% | 68% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 57% | 93% | 71% | 65% | 83% | 50% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +1.2 | +2.5 | +2.9 | +1.5 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -0.7 | +0.5 | +1.9 | -2.5 | – | – |
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.
† These results are for St Mary and Michael Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
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
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
Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
82 places were empty (43% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.
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 the school teaches, from the latest school census.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 18.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.5 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (6), Specific learning difficulty (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Other difficulty or disability (2), Physical disability (2), language and communications needs (2).
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25† | 2023/24† | 2022/23† | 2021/22† | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 5.4% | 4.8% | 5.4% | 3.9% | 1.6% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.9% | 3.6% | 4.2% | 3.1% | 1.3% | 2.7% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 1.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 15.0% | 15.0% | 12.0% | 5.5% | 1.8% | 5.5% | 12.8% |
† These attendance figures are for St Mary and Michael Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garstang St Thomas' Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 780 m | 257 | No overall grade 2024 | 98 | Compare |
| Garstang Community Primary School | Council | 990 m | 202 | Good 2023 | 80 | Compare |
| Kirkland and Catterall St Helen's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 1.4 miles | 169 | Good 2023 | 69 | Compare |
| Nateby Primary School | Council | 1.9 miles | 87 | Good 2023 | 74 | Compare |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Claughton-on-Brock | Roman Catholic | 2.4 miles | 47 | No overall grade 2025 | 85 | Compare |
| Winmarleigh Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.4 miles | 19 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Scorton Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.4 miles | 66 | No overall grade 2025 | 81 | Compare |
| Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.9 miles | 39 | Report card 2026 | 15 | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Garstang a good school?
St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Garstang doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in November 2021.
What is St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Garstang's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Garstang good at its last full inspection on 3 November 2021. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Garstang's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 43% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.
How many pupils does St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Garstang have?
97 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 175 places, so it is 55% full.
Is St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Garstang oversubscribed?
Probably not. 82 places were empty in 2024/25 (43% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Garstang?
Pupils were in school 94.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 15% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Garstang?
The average class had 24.3 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
- Castle Lane, Garstang, Preston, PR3 1RB
- Telephone
- 01995 603023
- Website
- www.st-mary-st-michael.lancs.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Luena Archibald
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 4-11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic, Diocese of Lancaster
- Multi-academy trust
- Mater Ecclesiae Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (17 schools)
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- Ward
- Calder
- Constituency
- Lancaster and Wyre
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 May 2025 (academy converter)
- URN
- 151563 · LAESTAB 8883702 · UKPRN 10097220
- Formerly
- St Mary and Michael Catholic Primary School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.