School Chooser

St Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School, Mawdesley

Primary · ages 4-11MixedRoman Catholic35 pupilsLancashire
School Chooser Score
26
Below
similar schools
Likely range 8 to 64, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 28% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, May 2026
Reached the expected level at 1145%England 63%
Attendance95.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families11%Far fewer than most schools
Places70 spare35 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher12.5School workforce census

St Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School, Mawdesley is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Nr Ormskirk for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 35 pupils and room for 105. About 11 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 26 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 28% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in May 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Ridley Lane, Mawdesley, Nr Ormskirk, L40 3PP01704 822216sspeterandpaulsschoolmawdesley.co.ukMrs Deb Simmonite headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 21 May 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Needs attention
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
16 November 2023Section 8 inspection of good and outstanding schoolsRequires improvement

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

11 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.

Reached the expected level at 1145%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
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
2018 to 2025
2018: 75%75%20182023: 73%73%20232024: 71%71%20242025: 45%45%2025
Since 2018: -30%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LancashireEngland
Pupils tested11711485
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths45%71%73%75%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%27%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0102.0108.0107.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0106.0109.0105.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0105.0110.0104.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard73%71%73%88%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard82%71%82%75%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)55%71%91%75%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.5+0.1
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.5-1.2

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.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places44 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
42% full

61 places were empty (58% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 4% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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 roll35Census January 2026
Places10533% full
Pupils from low-income families11%11% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%6 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%0 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.01 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)9%£4,650 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls7 / 28
White British pupils97%

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

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll354044514546
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%3%7%6%7%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%2%2%2%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support5%7%8%13%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%2%2%2%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.9%5.2%5.6%5.1%1.8%4.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.4%3.5%4.1%4.0%1.6%3.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.5%1.6%1.6%1.1%0.2%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.5%14.6%11.4%9.3%4.8%14.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers2.8full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher12.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers80%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants1.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,464
Teachers who left in the year42%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.22021/22

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£11,236England £7,738. Total £449k
Income per pupil£10,775England £7,697. Total £431k
Spent on teachers per pupil£5,198England £3,480
Money in reserve-1%In the red: -£4,048, -£101 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£18kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£11,236spent 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 m112 months to June 2026, mostly other theft
Local crime rate69 per 1,000 people24% lower than the England average
Typical house price£220,000Chorley
Nearest bus stop20 mSt Peter and Paul RCPS, 3 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
Mawdesley St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.0 miles70No overall grade 202490Compare
Richard Durning's Endowed Primary SchoolChristian1.2 miles77Good 202434Compare
Eccleston St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.6 miles148Good 202076Compare
Eccleston Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles204Good 202391Compare
Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary SchoolChurch of England1.7 miles103No overall grade 202580Compare
Wrightington Mossy Lea Primary SchoolCouncil2.2 miles24Not inspectedCompare
Parbold Douglas Church of England AcademyAcademy2.3 miles191Outstanding 202396Compare
Our Lady and All Saints Roman Catholic Primary School, ParboldCatholic2.5 miles106Outstanding 202498Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School, Mawdesley 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.

Beats28%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 26 is 21 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 47 · highest 89100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 26 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 26% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 8 to 64. 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
-0.08
2025 and 2023 results; 11 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.21
Ofsted report card, 0.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.04
DfE progress measure; 11 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.13
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 42 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 11 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 St Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School, Mawdesley a good school?

The figures are weak. St Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School, Mawdesley scores 26 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 28% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 8 to 64, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is St Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School, Mawdesley's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 21 May 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are St Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School, Mawdesley's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 45% 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 Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School, Mawdesley have?

35 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 33% full.

Is St Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School, Mawdesley oversubscribed?

Probably not. 61 places were empty in 2024/25 (58% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School, Mawdesley?

Pupils were in school 95.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School, Mawdesley?

The average class had 28.0 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
Ridley Lane, Mawdesley, Nr Ormskirk, L40 3PP
Telephone
01704 822216
Website
www.sspeterandpaulsschoolmawdesley.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Deb Simmonite
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Liverpool
Local authority
Lancashire
Ward
Croston, Mawdesley & Euxton South
Constituency
South Ribble
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
119678 · LAESTAB 8883794 · UKPRN 10080343

Where these figures come from