Clitheroe Pendle Primary School Review 2026: High-attaining community primary with a strong reading culture

A primary that combines a settled, supportive feel with results that sit well above most schools in England. Pupils are described as happy, considerate and keen to learn, and the wider programme includes responsibilities such as school councillors and digital leaders, alongside curriculum-enriching trips and charity work.

The school serves ages 5 to 11 and is close to full capacity (348 pupils against a capacity of 350). Demand is real rather than theoretical, with 126 applications for 50 places in the most recent Reception admissions dataset provided, a ratio that makes careful planning essential for families.

Clitheroe Pendle Primary School presents as calm, friendly and purposeful. Pupils are described in official reporting as happy to attend, enjoying playtimes with friends and trusting adults to listen to worries and keep them safe. That baseline matters for day-to-day experience. A school can have ambitious outcomes, but if children do not feel secure and heard, the basics are missing.

Ambition is evident, but it does not read as narrow. Pupils benefit from opportunities that broaden experience beyond the classroom, including educational visits (castles, places of worship and a local quarry are specifically referenced) and community-oriented activity such as donating food to a local food bank and fundraising for charities. The implication for families is a primary education that pays attention to character development, as well as to academic foundations.

Leadership stability helps too. The headteacher is Mrs Wendy Nunns, and the school’s published governance information records her appointment date as 01 May 2017. That length of tenure typically supports consistent routines, steady curriculum development and a coherent approach to behaviour and safeguarding.

The headline for 2024 Key Stage 2 is exceptionally strong attainment in reading, writing and mathematics combined. In 2024, 91% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 62%.

Depth is equally striking. 46% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. This suggests the school is not only securing the basics for most pupils, it is also stretching a large proportion towards higher-level outcomes.

The scaled scores in 2024 also support the picture of secure learning. Reading and mathematics both recorded an average scaled score of 109, while grammar, punctuation and spelling was 112, with a combined reading, maths and GPS total score of 330.

In FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 467th in England and 1st within the local area grouping of Clitheroe. This places it well above the England average, within the top 10% of schools in England by this measure.

For parents comparing options locally, it is worth using the FindMySchool Local Hub page and the Comparison Tool to set these outcomes alongside other nearby primaries, then sense-check with the practical realities of travel, wraparound care and admissions.

Curriculum design is presented as structured and carefully sequenced, with a two-year programme of cross-curricular topics intended to help pupils connect learning across subjects, while keeping some areas as discrete lessons where links would otherwise be forced. This matters because cross-curricular approaches can be highly effective when subject knowledge remains clear, rather than becoming theme-led without enough precision.

Reading is a central strength. The school invests in engaging books, pupils enjoy selecting from the library and class reading areas, and daily reading aloud is highlighted for early years. Phonics begins as soon as children start in Reception, and most staff are trained to deliver the early reading programme effectively, supporting pupils to become confident readers.

There are, however, clear improvement priorities. A small number of subjects, including elements of early years, require sharper definition of essential knowledge and sequencing; and a small number of staff do not implement phonics consistently well, which can slow down a minority of pupils who find reading harder. For families, the practical implication is to ask directly how leaders have tightened curriculum sequencing in the weaker areas, and how phonics consistency is monitored and coached.

As a state primary, the core transition is into the local secondary landscape. The school does not publish a single standard destination list on the pages reviewed, so families should expect a mix based on catchment, parental preference and (for some pupils locally) selective routes where relevant. A useful approach is to ask during a visit how Year 6 transition is managed, what liaison looks like with receiving secondary schools, and how pastoral information is shared to support pupils who may need additional reassurance.

From a readiness perspective, the school’s focus on routines, behaviour and confidence-building roles such as councillors and digital leaders points towards pupils leaving with both academic and personal foundations.

Admissions are coordinated through Lancashire County Council for Reception entry, rather than being handled solely by the school. For September 2026 entry, applications opened on 01 September 2025 and the national closing date was 15 January 2026, with offers issued on 16 April 2026. If you are reading this after 15 January 2026, you are in late application territory for that cohort and should follow Lancashire’s guidance on late applications and waiting lists.

The school is oversubscribed in the most recent dataset provided. There were 126 applications for 50 offers, around 2.52 applications per place, and first preference demand slightly exceeded the number of offers available. That combination usually means distance, siblings and the local authority’s published criteria become decisive in practice, even when a school is not formally selective.

The school also promotes open mornings for prospective Reception families, with an example published for the September 2026 intake (Wednesday 08 October, 9:30am to 11:15am, including a Year 6 guided tour and an opportunity to meet the headteacher). Where exact dates are not yet published for future years, the stated pattern suggests these events typically sit in October.

A practical step is to use FindMySchool’s Map Search to understand your likely travel distance and compare that with historic patterns for local schools, while remembering that admissions outcomes depend on the local authority’s criteria and applicant distribution each year.

Safeguarding arrangements are confirmed as effective in the most recent inspection. Beyond compliance, pupils’ day-to-day experience is described as secure, with adults listening to worries and a culture that supports respectful behaviour in lessons and at playtimes.

Attendance is treated as a priority. The school describes working with families and local agencies to reduce absence and support regular attendance and punctuality. For parents, the message is that routines matter here, and that consistent attendance is seen as part of how pupils achieve so well.

The SEND picture is broadly positive, with pupils with special educational needs and disabilities included within the school’s ambitions. The improvement point is about consistency of curriculum adaptation for a small number of pupils with SEND, which is explicitly flagged as an area leaders should tighten.

This is a school that uses enrichment to build confidence and responsibility, not just to fill diaries. The inspection narrative references pupils taking on roles such as school councillors and digital leaders, plus opportunities to perform in summer productions. These experiences tend to matter most for children who benefit from structured leadership opportunities, or who thrive when trusted with real jobs.

Sport is actively used to broaden participation. The school’s PE information gives concrete examples of after-school clubs, including fencing, netball, archery, golf, dance and cricket. Mentioning archery in both the school’s own materials and the inspection evidence suggests it is a genuine feature, not a one-off.

Early years provision includes outdoor learning that is described in specific terms, including weekly Forest School activity referenced as Welly Wednesdays and Forest Fridays, using a wildlife garden. For families, the implication is a Reception experience that balances phonics and early number work with practical, physical and social development.

The school day is published as doors opening at 8:45am, a start time of 8:55am, and a finish time of 3:25pm, equating to 32.5 hours per week.

Wraparound childcare is available via a before and after school club; the school confirms the provision but does not publish the operating hours on the page reviewed, so families should confirm timings, booking arrangements and costs directly.

For facilities, the school prospectus describes a set of outdoor and physical spaces that go beyond a basic playground: a willow tunnel, two trim trails, a tyre park, a Key Stage 2 gym, a wildlife garden, a landscaped Calm Corner, and a garden room used for lessons and group activity. It also references use of neighbouring cricket club facilities (including astroturf courts) and local swimming provision for Key Stage 2.

• Oversubscription reality. With 126 applications for 50 offers in the latest dataset provided, admissions competition is a material factor and families should plan early, including understanding the local authority’s criteria and deadlines.

• Curriculum refinement in a minority of subjects. The most recent inspection identifies that in a small number of subjects, including parts of early years, the essential knowledge and sequencing are not yet as clear as they should be. Parents who value tight curriculum coherence should ask what has changed since July 2024.

• Consistency in phonics delivery. Phonics is a strength overall, but a small number of staff are noted as not implementing the programme consistently, which can slow progress for some pupils who find reading harder. This is worth probing if your child has struggled with early reading elsewhere.

• Wraparound details require checking. Breakfast and after-school provision is confirmed, but practical specifics are not published on the page reviewed, so do not assume the times align with your working day without verifying.

Clitheroe Pendle Primary School combines a settled, caring culture with outcomes that sit well above most of England, particularly at the higher standard. The education here should suit families who want strong academic foundations, a clear emphasis on reading, and a school that gives pupils real responsibilities and enrichment beyond lessons. The main constraint is admission, competition for places is the limiting factor, so deadlines and criteria matter as much as preference.