Voluntary aided school · Lancashire

Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School

4–11Ages
121Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Church of EnglandReligious character
119431URN

Wheatley Lane Road, Barrowford, Nelson, BB9 6QT · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Sep 2023 Previous framework

Outstanding

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

4.4per place

1.8 above Lancashire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Lancashire

75 applications for 17 places · 13th of 366 in Lancashire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

88%met the expected standard

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Outstanding · 26 September 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education	Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes	Outstanding
Personal development	Outstanding
Leadership and management	Outstanding
Early years provision	Outstanding

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

4.4applications per place, Reception

1.8 above Lancashire median (2.6) 2.2 above England median (2.2)

75 applications · 17 places offered · 23 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 4.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 5.1; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 4.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 5.1; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 3.9; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 5.5; Lancashire median median 2.6
2020 5.2; Lancashire median median 2.7
2019 5.5; Lancashire median median 2.6
2018 5.9; Lancashire median median 2.7
2017 5.2; Lancashire median median 2.5
2016 5.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
2015 5.5; Lancashire median median 2.5
2014 6.8; Lancashire median median 2.4

More applications per place than the Lancashire median in 13 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	17	75	4.4	23	1.35
Sep 2025	17	86	5.1	16	0.94
Sep 2024	17	74	4.4	27	1.59
Sep 2023	17	86	5.1	25	1.47
Sep 2022	17	67	3.9	21	1.24
Sep 2021	16	88	5.5	20	1.25
Sep 2020	17	88	5.2	27	1.59
Sep 2019	17	94	5.5	20	1.18
Sep 2018	17	100	5.9	32	1.88
Sep 2017	17	89	5.2	32	1.88
Sep 2016	17	97	5.7	31	1.82
Sep 2015	17	94	5.5	19	1.12
Sep 2014	17	116	6.8	31	1.82

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 100% · Writing 100% · Maths 88% → all three 88% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard88%14th of 444 in Lancashire

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard100%

Lancashire 77% England 78%

Higher standard38%

Lancashire 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 108 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard100%

Lancashire 74% England 75%

Greater depth25%

Lancashire 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard88%

Lancashire 76% England 77%

Higher standard38%

Lancashire 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 106 (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	88%	13%	108	106
2023/24	79%	26%	106	106
2022/23	75%	25%	107	108

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

Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Outstanding2023

4.4applications per place 88%met the SATs standard
Barrowford School
0.7 km · Lancashire

2026

2.5applications per place 50%met the SATs standard
Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson
1.1 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2024

2.2applications per place 57%met the SATs standard
Lomeshaye Junior School
1.4 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2022

80%met the SATs standard
Roughlee Church of England Primary School
1.5 km · Lancashire

2026

2.0applications per place 100%met the SATs standard
Bradley Primary School
1.5 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2024

2.7applications per place 60%met the SATs standard
Whitefield Infant School and Nursery
1.6 km · Lancashire

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.3applications per place
Nelson St Philip's Church of England Primary School
1.7 km · Lancashire

Good2023

4.4applications per place 58%met the SATs standard
St John Southworth RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
2.0 km · Lancashire

2026

3.5applications per place 18%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: Voluntary aided school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 119431 · 888/3323
Religious character: Church of England
Capacity: 119 pupils · 121 on roll
Free school meals: 11.6% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Wheatley Lane Road, Barrowford, Nelson, BB9 6QT
Local authority: Lancashire · Pendle

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