St Francis Catholic Primary School in Goosnargh told to keep up the good work by Ofsted
A primary school in Preston has been told to “sustain the effectiveness of their work” following its most recent Ofsted inspection.
St Francis Catholic Primary School in Goosnargh was inspected by the educational watchdog on January 6 2026.
This was the school’s first inspection under the new Ofsted framework which you can read more about here but it in summary means schools are judged using a five tiered traffic light system now instead.
Before this inspection, St Francis has held a ‘Good’ rating since online records began, its earliest ‘good’ report being published in October 2000.
How was St Francis Catholic Primary School graded this time around?
All categories at the school were given the same rating- the second highest that can be given.
The Ofsted report grades are:
- Achievement: Strong standard (dark green)
- Attendance and behaviour: Strong standard (dark green)
- Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard (dark green)
- Early years: Strong standard (dark green)
- Inclusion*: Strong standard (dark green)
- Leadership and governance: Strong standard (dark green)
- Personal development and wellbeing: Strong standard (dark green)
*Inclusion is a new category
What did Ofsted say was particularly good about St Francis Catholic Primary School?
Describing what it is like to be a pupil at St Francis, inspectors wrote: “Pupils at this small, welcoming school value the way in which staff take the time and effort to get to know them and their families. This creates a calm and harmonious atmosphere. Pupils feel cared for and safe. The highly positive relationships that pupils have with staff and their peers ensure that they have a deep sense of belonging to the school community. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in all aspects of school life.”
Academically, the school has high expectations for pupils and many, including those with SEND, exceed these standards.
Indeed Ofsted noted that “children achieve well by the end of the Reception Year” with that learning being consolidated as the years go on.
Regarding the curriculum, inspectors wrote that “each subject is ambitious in its scope” and the “progressive way” in which it is structured “builds pupils' learning and helps teachers to check on how well pupils remember key knowledge”.
Teachers too, who are provided with purposeful professional development, “use their subject knowledge to address any misconceptions and deepen pupils’ learning”.
Pupils are then said to “behave extremely well” whilst those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are “provided with the support and adaptations that they need to help them manage their emotions and their own behaviour”.
The school was also praised for its range of extra-curricular opportunities, its personal development curriculum and the way in which it prepares pupils well for their next steps “both academically and for life in modern Britain”.
What does St Francis Catholic Primary School need to improve?
In the ‘next steps’ part of the report, inspectors only mentioned one thing that the school needed to focus on and even this was a credit to St Francis.
Inspectors wrote: “Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain the effectiveness of their work in all areas. They should seek continued improvement, overcoming barriers and challenges, in order to drive a transformational impact for all pupils. This includes disadvantaged pupils, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children’s social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.”