Community school · Lancashire

Cottam Primary School

4–11Ages
308Pupils
PrimaryPhase
131720URN

Haydocks Lane, Cottam, Preston, PR4 0NY · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Nov 2024 Previous framework

No overall grade given

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

3.1per place

0.5 above Lancashire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Lancashire

185 applications for 60 places · 85th of 366 in Lancashire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

45%met the expected standard

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded inspection · 12 November 2024Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024). Between September 2024 and November 2025 Ofsted graded areas but gave no overall grade.
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision		Good

Inspection history

12 November 2024
Graded inspection, no overall grade
19 April 2023
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Concerns)

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

3.1applications per place, Reception

0.5 above Lancashire median (2.6) 0.9 above England median (2.2)

185 applications · 60 places offered · 77 named it first

2026 3.1; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 2.9; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 2.6; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 2.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 4.6; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 4.6; Lancashire median median 2.6
2020 4.6; Lancashire median median 2.7
2019 3.9; Lancashire median median 2.6
2018 3.8; Lancashire median median 2.7
2017 3.5; Lancashire median median 2.5
2016 3.0; Lancashire median median 2.6
2015 2.8; Lancashire median median 2.5
2014 2.8; 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	60	185	3.1	77	1.28
Sep 2025	60	172	2.9	62	1.03
Sep 2024	60	153	2.6	63	1.05
Sep 2023	59	142	2.4	50	0.85
Sep 2022	30	138	4.6	49	1.63
Sep 2021	30	137	4.6	52	1.73
Sep 2020	30	138	4.6	53	1.77
Sep 2019	30	118	3.9	46	1.53
Sep 2018	30	113	3.8	41	1.37
Sep 2017	30	105	3.5	29	0.97
Sep 2016	30	90	3.0	28	0.93
Sep 2015	30	85	2.8	33	1.10
Sep 2014	30	83	2.8	28	0.93

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 67% · Writing 45% · Maths 73% → all three 45% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard45%363rd of 444 in Lancashire

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard67%

Lancashire 77% England 78%

Higher standard24%

Lancashire 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 104 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard45%

Lancashire 74% England 75%

Greater depth0%

Lancashire 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard73%

Lancashire 76% England 77%

Higher standard15%

Lancashire 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 102 (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	45%	0%	104	102
2023/24	63%	6%	108	104
2022/23	53%	3%	106	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

Cottam Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Graded · no overall grade2024

3.1applications per place 45%met the SATs standard
Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Ingol, Preston
1.0 km · Lancashire

Good2023

2.2applications per place
Lea Neeld's Endowed Church of England Primary School
1.0 km · Lancashire

Graded · no overall grade2024

5.4applications per place 65%met the SATs standard
Ingol Community Primary School
1.0 km · Lancashire

2026

2.1applications per place 70%met the SATs standard
Pool House Community Primary School
1.2 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2022

1.4applications per place 79%met the SATs standard
Ashton Primary School
1.3 km · Lancashire

2026

2.3applications per place 45%met the SATs standard
Lea Community Primary School
1.8 km · Lancashire

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.8applications per place 60%met the SATs standard
St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Preston
1.9 km · Lancashire

2026

1.8applications per place 58%met the SATs standard
Ashton-on-Ribble St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
2.1 km · Lancashire

Graded · no overall grade2024

2.5applications per place 68%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: Community school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 131720 · 888/2838
Capacity: 308 pupils · 308 on roll
Free school meals: 12.3% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 September 1998
Address: Haydocks Lane, Cottam, Preston, PR4 0NY
Local authority: Lancashire · Preston

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