Voluntary aided school · Lancashire

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster

4–11Ages
207Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Roman CatholicReligious character
119584URN

Bowerham Road, St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster, LA1 4HT · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · May 2024 Previous framework

Outstanding

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.9per place

0.3 above Lancashire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Lancashire

87 applications for 30 places · 107th of 366 in Lancashire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

79%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 · 1 May 2024Ofsted'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

2.9applications per place, Reception

0.3 above Lancashire median (2.6) 0.7 above England median (2.2)

87 applications · 30 places offered · 38 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 2.9; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 3.6; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 3.0; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 3.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 3.2; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 3.1; Lancashire median median 2.6
2020 3.8; Lancashire median median 2.7
2019 3.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
2018 3.0; Lancashire median median 2.7
2017 3.3; Lancashire median median 2.5
2016 3.5; Lancashire median median 2.6
2015 3.3; Lancashire median median 2.5
2014 3.2; 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	30	87	2.9	38	1.27
Sep 2025	28	100	3.6	27	0.96
Sep 2024	30	91	3.0	31	1.03
Sep 2023	26	96	3.7	25	0.96
Sep 2022	30	97	3.2	33	1.10
Sep 2021	30	94	3.1	32	1.07
Sep 2020	30	113	3.8	32	1.07
Sep 2019	30	102	3.4	36	1.20
Sep 2018	30	90	3.0	30	1.00
Sep 2017	30	100	3.3	31	1.03
Sep 2016	30	104	3.5	29	0.97
Sep 2015	30	100	3.3	39	1.30
Sep 2014	29	94	3.2	42	1.45

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 93% · Writing 83% · Maths 97% → all three 79% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard79%51st of 444 in Lancashire

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard93%

Lancashire 77% England 78%

Higher standard52%

Lancashire 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 109 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard83%

Lancashire 74% England 75%

Greater depth34%

Lancashire 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard97%

Lancashire 76% England 77%

Higher standard41%

Lancashire 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 108 (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	79%	28%	109	108
2023/24	73%	30%	110	109
2022/23	79%	14%	107	107

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

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, LancasterThis school
This school

Outstanding2024

2.9applications per place 79%met the SATs standard
Moorside Primary School
0.1 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2023

2.9applications per place 70%met the SATs standard
Scotforth St Paul's Church of England Primary and Nursery School
0.6 km · Lancashire

Good2023

3.6applications per place 63%met the SATs standard
Bowerham Primary & Nursery School
0.9 km · Lancashire

2026

2.9applications per place 60%met the SATs standard
The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster
1.6 km · Lancashire

Standards maintained2025

2.6applications per place 80%met the SATs standard
Lancaster Christ Church Church of England Primary School
1.8 km · Lancashire

2026

2.5applications per place 64%met the SATs standard
Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School
1.9 km · Lancashire

2026

2.3applications per place 65%met the SATs standard
Castle View Primary Academy
2.3 km · Lancashire

Serious weaknesses Graded · no overall grade2025

2.6applications per place 31%met the SATs standard
Willow Lane Community Primary School
2.6 km · Lancashire

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.8applications per place 46%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: 119584 · 888/3607
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Capacity: 210 pupils · 207 on roll
Free school meals: 9.7% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Bowerham Road, St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster, LA1 4HT
Local authority: Lancashire · Lancaster

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