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St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden

Clitheroe, BB7 9ED · Lancashire · primary school

Ofsted: Good · 2014 Mixed Primary Roman Catholic
OfstedGood
Pupils69
FSM24.6%
KS2 expected43%
AI summary of the Ofsted report Inspected 2023-01-17 · Tap to collapse

Generated by AI from the official inspection report — not written by Ofsted or SchoolsGPT staff. Always read the full Ofsted PDF before relying on this summary.

Overview: St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden continues to be a good school, where pupils are happy and enjoy attending school. The school's distinct ethos of 'all are welcome' accurately sums up its close-knit feel.

Strengths:

  • Pupils are happy and enjoy attending school, with a close-knit feel of the school family.
  • All staff have high expectations for pupils, including those with SEND, and classrooms are calm and harmonious places to learn.
  • Pupils interact and play with their friends at breaktimes, and are kind and helpful towards each other.
  • Pupils relish taking on leadership roles in the school, including pupil chaplain, and are encouraged to engage in a plethora of extra-curricular activities.
  • The school is exceptionally well led and managed by the headteacher, with a strong culture of safeguarding.

Areas to improve:

  • In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment as effectively as they could, and are not consistently able to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge.

Safeguarding: The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a strong culture of safeguarding, all staff knowing what to be alert to, and systems in place to identify and support pupils at risk of harm.

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Catchment / designated area

Lancashire's own term is 'Geographical Priority Area' (GPA) — a criterion for community/VC schools; academies/VA/foundation schools set their own arrangements.

Source: Lancashire admissions policy

Ofsted judgement breakdown (2014-05-14)

Overall effectiveness
Good
Effectiveness of leadership and management
Good

What the entrance test covers

There is no shared Lancashire 11+ — each school sets its own exam, and formats/providers differ and have changed recently, so always check the school's own admissions page for the current year. As of the 2026 test round: - Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School — GL Assessment-style multiple-choice papers (maths, English, verbal reasoning). - Clitheroe Royal Grammar School — moved to FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise) papers: Paper 1 English & maths multiple-choice, Paper 2 English & maths short written answers. - Lancaster Girls' Grammar School — FSCE papers. - Lancaster Royal Grammar School — GL Assessment-style papers (maths, English, verbal reasoning). Because providers differ, practice material for one Lancashire school may not match another's format — and a child applying to schools in both Clitheroe/Lancaster and the Bacup area may face two different exam styles.

Similar schools nearby

Same area, prioritising the same phase — useful for shortlisting alternatives.

Sabden Primary School 0.2 mi · Primary · Good Sabden, BB7 9DZ Simonstone St Peter's Church of England Primary School 1.7 mi · Primary · Good Burnley, BB12 7HR Read St John's CofE Primary School 1.7 mi · Primary · Good Burnley, BB12 7PE Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School 2.2 mi · Primary · Requires improvement Padiham, Burnley, BB12 8HT Higham St John's Church of England Primary School 2.2 mi · Primary · Good Burnley, BB12 9EU Barrow URC Primary School 2.4 mi · Primary · Good Clitheroe, BB7 9AZ

Data sourced from GIAS, Ofsted and official Lancashire admissions publications. Figures can change year to year — always confirm with the school before applying.

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