School Chooser

Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 5-11MixedChurch of England228 pupilsPrestonLancashire
School Chooser Score
59
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 34 to 80
Out of 100. Better than 20% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1162%England 63%
Attendance96.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families9%Far fewer than most schools
Places52 spare228 pupils, 280 places
Pupils per teacher26.6School workforce census
Pupils on roll228Census January 2026

Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Preston for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 228 pupils and room for 280. About 9 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 59 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it.

Walton Green, Walton-le-Dale, Preston, PR5 4JL01772 556021st-leonards-pri.lancs.sch.ukKay Proctor headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1162%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level10%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 79%79%20172018: 85%85%20182019: 78%78%20192023: 65%65%20232024: 50%50%20242025: 62%62%2025
Since 2017: -17%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LancashireEngland
Pupils tested394040403939
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths62%50%65%78%85%79%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths10%3%18%20%15%13%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0105.0108.0107.0108.0106.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0103.0106.0108.0107.0106.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0103.0108.0110.0109.0108.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard85%75%85%80%90%87%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard64%73%85%95%95%90%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)72%75%73%85%90%85%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.7+1.9+2.7+0.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.9+2.8+3.3+0.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged29%17%82%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged69%74%86%

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 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
29%69%
Gap 40 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
65%59%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%10%
Gap 10 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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places239 pupils for 269 places, 2024/25
89% full

About 30 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 14% 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 roll228Census January 2026
Places28081% full
Pupils from low-income families9%9% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%28 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size32.67 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)9%£31,000 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls109 / 119
White British pupils84%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (10), emotional and mental health (8), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Physical disability (4), Specific learning difficulty (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll228240258263279276
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals9%10%10%10%10%8%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%2%2%2%3%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%12%11%11%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school4.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.6%4.0%4.0%4.8%2.5%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.3%3.1%3.2%4.0%1.9%2.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.0%0.7%0.8%0.6%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence4.2%7.6%5.0%7.0%4.2%6.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.72.70.84.34.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers8.6full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher26.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£54,227
Teachers who left in the year31%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher24.02023/24

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£6,528England £7,738. Total £1.6m
Income per pupil£6,725England £7,697. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,994England £3,480
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £140k, £587 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£47kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,528spent 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 m18312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate62 per 1,000 people32% lower than the England average
Typical house price£216,000South Ribble
Nearest bus stop140 mWalton Green, 11 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 Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School, Walton-le-DaleRoman Catholic810 m199Good 202042Compare
Frenchwood Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles326Report card 20269Compare
Walton-le-Dale Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles446Good 202465Compare
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, PrestonAcademy1.0 miles273Report card 202651Compare
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.1 miles251No overall grade 202511Compare
Lostock Hall Community Primary SchoolFoundation1.2 miles422Good 202477Compare
St Matthew's Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy1.3 miles415No overall grade 20258Compare
Bamber Bridge St Aidan's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.3 miles95No overall grade 20254Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats20%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 59 is 19 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 78 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Burscough Village Primary SchoolCouncil11.9 miles223Good 202480Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 59 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 59% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 34 to 80. 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
+0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 39 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.03
DfE progress measure; 39 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.10
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.15
2024/25; 215 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 39 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 Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School scores 59 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 34 to 80, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

How good are Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 62% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 10% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School have?

228 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 280 places, so it is 81% full.

Is Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 30 places were empty in 2024/25 (11% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 4% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 32.6 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
Walton Green, Walton-le-Dale, Preston, PR5 4JL
Telephone
01772 556021
Website
www.st-leonards-pri.lancs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Kay Proctor
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Blackburn
Local authority
Lancashire
Ward
Walton-le-Dale West
Constituency
Ribble Valley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
119575 · LAESTAB 8883596 · UKPRN 10073428

Where these figures come from