Voluntary aided school · Lancashire

The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster

4–11Ages
195Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Roman CatholicReligious character
119621URN

Balmoral Road, Lancaster, LA1 3BT · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded GoodMay 2016

Standards maintainedUngraded inspection · Mar 2025

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.6per place

close to Lancashire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Lancashire

46 applications for 18 places · 175th of 366 in Lancashire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

80%met the expected standard

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded GoodMay 2016

Standards maintainedUngraded inspection · Mar 2025

Inspection history

12 March 2025
Ungraded inspection: Standards maintained
4 May 2016
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

2.6applications per place, Reception

close to Lancashire median (2.6) 0.4 above England median (2.2)

46 applications · 18 places offered · 18 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 2.6; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 2.4; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 2.9; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 2.5; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 3.1; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 2.9; Lancashire median median 2.6
2020 2.5; Lancashire median median 2.7
2019 2.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
2018 3.4; Lancashire median median 2.7
2017 2.5; Lancashire median median 2.5
2016 2.5; Lancashire median median 2.6
2015 2.7; Lancashire median median 2.5
2014 3.1; 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	18	46	2.6	18	1.00
Sep 2025	24	58	2.4	23	0.96
Sep 2024	19	55	2.9	18	0.95
Sep 2023	29	72	2.5	25	0.86
Sep 2022	22	67	3.1	21	0.95
Sep 2021	26	74	2.9	25	0.96
Sep 2020	29	71	2.5	20	0.69
Sep 2019	21	57	2.7	17	0.81
Sep 2018	13	44	3.4	13	1.00
Sep 2017	19	47	2.5	19	1.00
Sep 2016	20	50	2.5	17	0.85
Sep 2015	17	45	2.7	10	0.59
Sep 2014	19	58	3.1	16	0.84

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 93% · Writing 83% · Maths 90% → all three 80% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard80%43rd of 444 in Lancashire

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard93%

Lancashire 77% England 78%

Higher standard50%

Lancashire 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 109 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard83%

Lancashire 74% England 75%

Greater depth13%

Lancashire 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard90%

Lancashire 76% England 77%

Higher standard20%

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	80%	3%	109	105
2023/24	77%	13%	109	106
2022/23	79%	10%	109	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

The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, LancasterThis school
This school

Standards maintained2025

2.6applications per place 80%met the SATs standard
Bowerham Primary & Nursery School
0.7 km · Lancashire

2026

2.9applications per place 60%met the SATs standard
Lancaster Christ Church Church of England Primary School
0.7 km · Lancashire

2026

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

2026

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

Serious weaknesses Graded · no overall grade2025

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

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.8applications per place 46%met the SATs standard
St Josephs Catholic Primary School, Lancaster
1.6 km · Lancashire

Requires improvement2024

4.8applications per place 33%met the SATs standard
St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, Lancaster
1.6 km · Lancashire

Outstanding2024

2.9applications per place 79%met the SATs standard
Scotforth St Paul's Church of England Primary and Nursery School
1.6 km · Lancashire

Good2023

3.6applications per place 63%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: 119621 · 888/3706
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Capacity: 210 pupils · 195 on roll
Free school meals: 25.1% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Balmoral Road, Lancaster, LA1 3BT
Local authority: Lancashire · Lancaster

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