Community school · Lancashire

Bacup Thorn Primary School

4–11Ages
253Pupils
PrimaryPhase
119193URN

Cowtoot Lane, Bacup, OL13 8EF · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Nov 2023 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.1per place

0.5 below Lancashire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Lancashire

50 applications for 24 places · 291st of 366 in Lancashire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

61%met the expected standard

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 28 November 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision		Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.1applications per place, Reception

0.5 below Lancashire median (2.6) close to England median (2.2)

50 applications · 24 places offered · 23 named it first

2026 2.1; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 2.0; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 2.2; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 2.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 2.0; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 2.3; Lancashire median median 2.6
2020 2.0; Lancashire median median 2.7
2019 2.1; Lancashire median median 2.6
2018 2.0; Lancashire median median 2.7
2017 2.0; Lancashire median median 2.5
2016 1.6; Lancashire median median 2.6
2015 1.8; Lancashire median median 2.5
2014 1.9; Lancashire median median 2.4

More applications per place than the Lancashire median in 0 of 13 years.

This school
Lancashire median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	24	50	2.1	23	0.96
Sep 2025	34	67	2.0	34	1.00
Sep 2024	30	65	2.2	30	1.00
Sep 2023	32	76	2.4	29	0.91
Sep 2022	34	67	2.0	34	1.00
Sep 2021	32	74	2.3	29	0.91
Sep 2020	41	82	2.0	37	0.90
Sep 2019	35	75	2.1	35	1.00
Sep 2018	44	87	2.0	41	0.93
Sep 2017	31	63	2.0	28	0.90
Sep 2016	45	74	1.6	41	0.91
Sep 2015	45	79	1.8	41	0.91
Sep 2014	38	73	1.9	36	0.95

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 76% · Writing 74% · Maths 85% → all three 61% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard61%241st of 444 in Lancashire

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard76%

Lancashire 77% England 78%

Higher standard35%

Lancashire 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard74%

Lancashire 74% England 75%

Greater depth7%

Lancashire 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard85%

Lancashire 76% England 77%

Higher standard22%

Lancashire 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 105 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Lancashire median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	61%	7%	106	105
2023/24	53%	3%	103	103
2022/23	60%	11%	104	103

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Bacup Thorn Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Good2023

2.1applications per place 61%met the SATs standard
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
0.8 km · Lancashire

Serious weaknesses 2026

3.0applications per place 15%met the SATs standard
Northern Primary School
1.2 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2024

2.9applications per place 50%met the SATs standard
Sharneyford Primary School
1.4 km · Lancashire

2026

2.7applications per place 30%met the SATs standard
Bacup St Saviour's Community Primary School
1.5 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2024

5.0applications per place 64%met the SATs standard
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Stacksteads, Bacup
2.0 km · Lancashire

2026

2.4applications per place 50%met the SATs standard
Britannia Community Primary School
2.0 km · Lancashire

2026

2.9applications per place 66%met the SATs standard
Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School
2.2 km · Lancashire

Good2024

2.1applications per place 37%met the SATs standard
St Anne's Church of England Primary School
3.3 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2023

1.9applications per place 71%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Community school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 119193 · 888/2114
Capacity: 276 pupils · 253 on roll
Free school meals: 41.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Cowtoot Lane, Bacup, OL13 8EF
Local authority: Lancashire · Rossendale

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources