Voluntary aided school · Lancashire

Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School

4–11Ages
408Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Church of EnglandReligious character
119438URN

Hibson Road, Nelson, BB9 0PY · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded GoodNov 2015

Standards maintainedUngraded inspection · Feb 2025

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.4per place

close to Lancashire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Lancashire

138 applications for 57 places · 216th of 366 in Lancashire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

58%met the expected standard

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded GoodNov 2015

Standards maintainedUngraded inspection · Feb 2025

Inspection history

5 February 2025
Ungraded inspection: Standards maintained
17 November 2015
Graded inspection: 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

2.4applications per place, Reception

close to Lancashire median (2.6) 0.2 above England median (2.2)

138 applications · 57 places offered · 53 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 2.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 2.6; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 2.8; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 3.2; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 2.5; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 2.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
2020 3.5; Lancashire median median 2.7
2019 3.2; Lancashire median median 2.6
2018 3.5; Lancashire median median 2.7
2017 3.4; Lancashire median median 2.5
2016 3.1; Lancashire median median 2.6
2015 3.3; Lancashire median median 2.5
2014 2.6; Lancashire median median 2.4

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	57	138	2.4	53	0.93
Sep 2025	56	146	2.6	55	0.98
Sep 2024	60	167	2.8	65	1.08
Sep 2023	44	140	3.2	40	0.91
Sep 2022	60	151	2.5	63	1.05
Sep 2021	60	161	2.7	64	1.07
Sep 2020	60	208	3.5	69	1.15
Sep 2019	56	179	3.2	64	1.14
Sep 2018	60	210	3.5	92	1.53
Sep 2017	60	206	3.4	84	1.40
Sep 2016	60	185	3.1	67	1.12
Sep 2015	60	198	3.3	72	1.20
Sep 2014	60	156	2.6	52	0.87

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 77% · Writing 65% · Maths 82% → all three 58% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard58%270th of 444 in Lancashire

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard77%

Lancashire 77% England 78%

Higher standard32%

Lancashire 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 105 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard65%

Lancashire 74% England 75%

Greater depth8%

Lancashire 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard82%

Lancashire 76% England 77%

Higher standard23%

Lancashire 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 104 (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	58%	8%	105	104
2023/24	61%	11%	105	104
2022/23	59%	2%	105	105

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

Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Standards maintained2025

2.4applications per place 58%met the SATs standard
Marsden Community Primary School
0.4 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2023

2.8applications per place 65%met the SATs standard
St John Southworth RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
0.4 km · Lancashire

2026

3.5applications per place 18%met the SATs standard
Whitefield Infant School and Nursery
0.8 km · Lancashire

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.3applications per place
Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
0.9 km · Lancashire

2026

4.9applications per place 86%met the SATs standard
Lomeshaye Junior School
1.0 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2022

80%met the SATs standard
Nelson St Philip's Church of England Primary School
1.0 km · Lancashire

Good2023

4.4applications per place 58%met the SATs standard
Walverden Primary School
1.0 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2023

2.3applications per place 65%met the SATs standard
Reedley Primary School
1.2 km · Lancashire

Good2023

2.2applications per place 61%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: 119438 · 888/3331
Religious character: Church of England
Capacity: 420 pupils · 408 on roll
Free school meals: 37.7% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Hibson Road, Nelson, BB9 0PY
Local authority: Lancashire · Pendle

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