Voluntary aided school · Lancashire

St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary School

3–11Ages
175Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Roman CatholicReligious character
119638URN

Buller Avenue, Penwortham, Preston, PR1 9QQ · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · May 2024 Previous framework

Requires improvement

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

3.2per place

0.6 above Lancashire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Lancashire

51 applications for 16 places · 71st of 366 in Lancashire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

65%met the expected standard

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Requires improvement · 14 May 2024Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Good	Requires improvement
Quality of education		Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes	Good
Personal development	Good
Leadership and management		Requires improvement
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

3.2applications per place, Reception

0.6 above Lancashire median (2.6) 1.0 above England median (2.2)

51 applications · 16 places offered · 16 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 3.2; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 3.1; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 2.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 3.8; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 3.3; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 2.8; Lancashire median median 2.6
2020 3.3; Lancashire median median 2.7
2019 2.6; Lancashire median median 2.6
2018 2.7; Lancashire median median 2.7
2017 2.6; Lancashire median median 2.5
2016 2.9; Lancashire median median 2.6
2015 2.9; Lancashire median median 2.5
2014 2.5; Lancashire median median 2.4

More applications per place than the Lancashire median in 12 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	16	51	3.2	16	1.00
Sep 2025	20	62	3.1	20	1.00
Sep 2024	26	71	2.7	23	0.88
Sep 2023	20	76	3.8	19	0.95
Sep 2022	18	60	3.3	16	0.89
Sep 2021	29	81	2.8	24	0.83
Sep 2020	30	99	3.3	32	1.07
Sep 2019	29	76	2.6	22	0.76
Sep 2018	30	82	2.7	37	1.23
Sep 2017	30	78	2.6	32	1.07
Sep 2016	29	83	2.9	27	0.93
Sep 2015	30	88	2.9	36	1.20
Sep 2014	29	72	2.5	32	1.10

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 81% · Writing 71% · Maths 74% → all three 65% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard65%193rd of 444 in Lancashire

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard81%

Lancashire 77% England 78%

Higher standard42%

Lancashire 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 105 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard71%

Lancashire 74% England 75%

Greater depth0%

Lancashire 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard74%

Lancashire 76% England 77%

Higher standard29%

Lancashire 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 103 (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	65%	0%	105	103
2023/24	67%	0%	105	106
2022/23	43%	4%	103	104

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 Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Requires improvement2024

3.2applications per place 65%met the SATs standard
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary School
0.5 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2023

2.6applications per place 61%met the SATs standard
St Stephen's CofE School
0.9 km · Lancashire

Good2023

1.6applications per place 55%met the SATs standard
Kingsfold Primary School
1.0 km · Lancashire

Good2022

2.4applications per place 30%met the SATs standard
Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham
1.2 km · Lancashire

Good2024

3.4applications per place 66%met the SATs standard
Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School
1.4 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2022

3.0applications per place 73%met the SATs standard
Frenchwood Community Primary School
1.7 km · Lancashire

2026

2.1applications per place 39%met the SATs standard
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Preston
1.7 km · Lancashire

2026

1.4applications per place 65%met the SATs standard
Whitefield Primary School
2.0 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2023

2.4applications per place 55%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: 119638 · 888/3730
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Capacity: 210 pupils · 175 on roll
Free school meals: 12.6% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Address: Buller Avenue, Penwortham, Preston, PR1 9QQ
Local authority: Lancashire · South Ribble

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