Community school · Lancashire

Woodland Community Primary School

3–11Ages
335Pupils
PrimaryPhase
134599URN

Heathgate, Birch Green, Skelmersdale, WN8 6QH · 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

1.4per place

1.2 below Lancashire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Lancashire

38 applications for 27 places · 364th of 366 in Lancashire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

69%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 · 8 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	Good
Early years provision	Good

Inspection history

8 May 2024
Graded inspection: Requires improvement
14 March 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

1.4applications per place, Reception

1.2 below Lancashire median (2.6) 0.8 below England median (2.2)

38 applications · 27 places offered · 24 named it first

HistoryEarlier years not shown: formed from, or split from, other schools.

2026 1.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 1.7; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 1.5; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 1.9; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 1.8; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 1.5; Lancashire median median 2.6
2020 1.7; Lancashire median median 2.7
2019 2.1; Lancashire median median 2.6
2018 2.0; Lancashire median median 2.7
2017 2.6; Lancashire median median 2.5
2016 1.7; Lancashire median median 2.6
2015 1.8; Lancashire median median 2.5
2014 1.7; Lancashire median median 2.4

More applications per place than the Lancashire median in 1 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	27	38	1.4	24	0.89
Sep 2025	24	41	1.7	24	1.00
Sep 2024	27	41	1.5	27	1.00
Sep 2023	29	54	1.9	29	1.00
Sep 2022	38	70	1.8	38	1.00
Sep 2021	43	63	1.5	42	0.98
Sep 2020	43	74	1.7	41	0.95
Sep 2019	35	73	2.1	34	0.97
Sep 2018	43	87	2.0	43	1.00
Sep 2017	24	63	2.6	23	0.96
Sep 2016	33	57	1.7	32	0.97
Sep 2015	41	73	1.8	41	1.00
Sep 2014	50	83	1.7	46	0.92

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 89% · Writing 73% · Maths 78% → all three 69% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard69%151st of 444 in Lancashire

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard89%

Lancashire 77% England 78%

Higher standard29%

Lancashire 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard73%

Lancashire 74% England 75%

Greater depth16%

Lancashire 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard78%

Lancashire 76% England 77%

Higher standard29%

Lancashire 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 106 (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	69%	7%	106	106
2023/24	64%	3%	106	105
2022/23	37%	0%	102	101

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

Woodland Community Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Requires improvement2024

1.4applications per place 69%met the SATs standard
St John's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale
0.5 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2022

3.4applications per place 72%met the SATs standard
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale
1.0 km · Lancashire

Good2023

2.8applications per place 78%met the SATs standard
Cobbs Brow School
1.1 km · Lancashire

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.0applications per place 74%met the SATs standard
Hillside Community Primary School
1.2 km · Lancashire

Good2024

1.8applications per place 52%met the SATs standard
Delph Side Community Primary School
1.2 km · Lancashire

Graded · no overall grade2024

2.9applications per place 73%met the SATs standard
Dalton St Michael's Church of England Primary School
1.3 km · Lancashire

Good2023

2.4applications per place
St Edmund's Catholic Primary School
1.5 km · Lancashire

Good2024

2.7applications per place 38%met the SATs standard
Crow Orchard Primary School
1.6 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2023

3.6applications per place 92%met the SATs standard

School details

Type: Community school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 134599 · 888/3996
Capacity: 350 pupils · 335 on roll
Free school meals: 48.7% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Opened: 1 September 2004
Address: Heathgate, Birch Green, Skelmersdale, WN8 6QH
Local authority: Lancashire · West Lancashire

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