Pilling St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 May 2026

Children in the early years quickly learn the school’s Christian value of respect. They demonstrate this in the calm and considerate way in which they interact with one another and with staff. As pupils progress through the school, they learn first hand the meaning of responsibility by taking on different leadership roles. These include being members of the school council, eco-committee or worship leaders. Charitable work, such as providing toy donations to a refuge for women and children, helps pupils to develop their understanding of compassion. Overall, pupils' personal development is carefully considered, however there remain some limited aspects where their knowledge could be more detailed. Pupils typically leave Year 6 with the knowledge they need across the curriculum. This prepares them well for the start of their secondary school education. Pupils achieve in line with the national average for reading, writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils achieve well across the curriculum. In many cases, they achieve just as well as their non-disadvantaged peers. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in school and make positive progress from their individual starting points. Children in the early years get off to a positive start in their education. Leaders are ambitious for children in the early years and older pupils to achieve even more. A secure platform on which to build towards this ambition is in place, but further work remains to fully realise it. The vast majority of pupils attend school regularly. Typically, behaviour is positive around the school. Pupils enjoy learning. They appreciate the need to treat others in a way that they would like to be treated themselves. On the rare occasion that bullying occurs, leaders deal with it quickly and effectively. Pupils trust that staff will support them in times of need. This helps pupils to feel safe at school.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that children in the early years develop a detailed understanding across the required areas of learning and development, resulting in them being exceptionally well prepared for Year 1.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils develop a secure and detailed knowledge across the PSHE curriculum.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND and those known to social care consistently achieve well, develop detailed knowledge and skills, and produce high-quality work across the curriculum. Where applicable, this should typically lead to above-average results in national tests over time.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)