Find the best primary schools in Pendle. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Pendle has 37 primary schools, all in Lancashire council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 37, 16 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Pendle primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Whitefield Infant School and Nursery | Mixed | 5.0 / 5 |
| Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.7 / 5 |
| Laneshaw Bridge Primary | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Newchurch-In-Pendle St Mary's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy | Roman Catholic | 4.3 / 5 |
| Lomeshaye Junior School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Trawden Forest Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson |
There are 37 primary schools in Pendle.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in Pendle, that council is Lancashire. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 37 primary schools in Pendle, 16 have a religious character: 10 Church of England, 5 Roman Catholic and 1 Methodist. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Whitefield Infant School and Nursery (5.0), Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School (4.7), Laneshaw Bridge Primary (4.5), Newchurch-In-Pendle St Mary's Church of England Primary School (4.3) and Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (4.3). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. All 37 schools here have a rating.
| Roman Catholic |
| 3.9 / 5 |
| Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy | Roman Catholic | 3.9 / 5 |
| Blacko Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Colne Primet Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Salterforth Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Colne Lord Street School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Marsden Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Roughlee Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Bradley Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Reedley Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Gisburn Road Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School | Methodist | 3.6 / 5 |
| Kelbrook Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Park Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Earby Springfield Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Castercliff Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Nelson St Paul's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| St Joseph's Catholic primary School, a Voluntary Academy | Roman Catholic | 3.2 / 5 |
| Pendle Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| West Street Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Walverden Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Great Marsden St John's Primary School A Church of England Academy | Church of England | 2.9 / 5 |
| Coates Lane Primary School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Barrowford School | Mixed | 2.8 / 5 |
| St John Southworth RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy | Roman Catholic | 2.6 / 5 |
| Higham St John's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.6 / 5 |
| Nelson St Philip's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.0 / 5 |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.