School Chooser

Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyChurch of England102 pupilsPrestonLancashire
School Chooser Score
6
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 2 to 16
Out of 100. Better than 25% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, April 2023
Reached the expected level at 1115%England 63%
Attendance89.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families53%Far more than most schools
Places108 spare102 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher18.2School workforce census

Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy is a sponsored academy in Preston for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 102 pupils and room for 210. About 53 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 6 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 25% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Lytham Road, Warton, Preston, PR4 1AH01772 632364wartonstpauls.co.ukMrs Laura Hodgkinson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 18 April 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

13 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 1115%
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 score101.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score96.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 25%25%20172018: 53%53%20182019: 53%53%20192023: 50%50%20232024: 56%56%20242025: 15%15%2025
Since 2017: -10%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†LancashireEngland
Pupils tested131816151920
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths15%56%50%53%53%25%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%6%0%0%0%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score101.0102.0101.0103.0101.0100.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score96.0102.0101.0103.0100.099.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0102.0100.0104.098.099.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard54%72%56%73%63%50%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard23%72%63%73%58%30%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)85%67%69%60%63%60%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.1+0.3-2.4-1.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.1-0.2-2.2-3.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%50%33%17%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged67%50%70%38%

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 Bryning with Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2020. 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

Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
29%0%
Gap 29 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.

Plenty of spare places99 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
47% full

111 places were empty (53% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 8% 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 roll102Census January 2026
Places21049% full
Pupils from low-income families53%53% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English8%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support15%15 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%4 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)52%£79,050 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls59 / 43
White British pupils78%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (9), emotional and mental health (4), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Moderate learning difficulty (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll102971051038287
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals53%54%49%44%49%43%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language8%5%8%11%6%6%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%22%24%28%25%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%6%11%7%6%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance89.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school40.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils8.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence10.3%10.5%8.3%9.5%5.9%5.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence8.7%7.4%7.1%7.5%4.5%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%3.1%1.2%2.0%1.3%2.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence40.0%38.5%33.0%36.4%22.6%21.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate8.38.61.98.50.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions01010

† These attendance figures are for Bryning with Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2020. 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.

Teachers5.6full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher18.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,331
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.32024/25

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.

Spend per pupil£8,505England £7,128. Total £825k
Income per pupil£10,247England £7,587. Total £994k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,320England £3,405
Money in reserve3%Not much put by: £31k, £316 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£169kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,505spent 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 m8712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate60 per 1,000 people34% lower than the England average
Typical house price£243,000Fylde
Nearest bus stop20 mPost Office, 7 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
Holy Family Catholic Primary School, WartonAcademy480 m157Good 202367Compare
Freckleton Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.4 miles193Good 202278Compare
Strike Lane Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles164Good 2022Compare
Ribby with Wrea Endowed CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.1 miles152No overall grade 202589Compare
The Willows Catholic Primary School, KirkhamAcademy2.3 miles208Outstanding 2022100Compare
St Peter's Catholic Primary School, LythamAcademy2.4 milesGood 2024Compare
Kirkham and Wesham Primary SchoolCouncil2.5 miles187Good 202335Compare
Kirkham St Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.6 miles199Good 202469Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy 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.

Beats25%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 6 is 10 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 15 · highest 89100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy, 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
Kingsfold Primary SchoolCouncil7.5 miles126Good 202212Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 6 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 6% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 2 to 16. 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 below
-0.28
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 13 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.04
DfE progress measure; 13 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.23
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.28
2024/25; 105 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.09
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 13 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 Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy scores 6 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 25% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 2 to 16, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy good at its last full inspection on 18 April 2023.

How good are Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 15% 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 Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy have?

102 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 49% full.

Is Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 111 places were empty in 2024/25 (53% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 89.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 40% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Lytham Road, Warton, Preston, PR4 1AH
Telephone
01772 632364
Website
www.wartonstpauls.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Laura Hodgkinson
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Blackburn
Multi-academy trust
Cidari Education Limited (15 schools)
Local authority
Lancashire
Ward
Warton
Constituency
Fylde
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2020 (new provision)
URN
148158 · LAESTAB 8882010 · UKPRN 10086742
Formerly
Bryning with Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary School

Where these figures come from