Priestley Primary School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 4 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Prince Charles Drive, Calne, SN11 8TGOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Priestley Primary School is a primary school in Calne for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 262 schools in Wiltshire. It ranks 8th of 9 primary schools in Calne. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 3 July 2024, report published 8 September 2024

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 July 2024

Pupils are happy and safe. They know the school's 'spikey' values well, such as sharing great ideas and taking responsibility. Most pupils are determined to live up to these values. Many older pupils, for example, have leadership roles. They contribute to school life by helping to organise events, like the recent 'Priestley 250'. Younger pupils help in the classroom by tidying up at the end of a lesson. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. Most live up to the school's expectations of their behaviour in classrooms and around the school. However, a minority of pupils do not follow classroom routines well enough. For example, they sometimes do not listen to adults when they have been asked to. This means they do not follow instructions or take note of the information presented to them. This hinders their learning. Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips, visits and visitors. Residential trips, for example, build pupils' confidence and independence. The annual careers fair brings pupils into contact with a range of employers. This helps them to begin to understand the choices they have for their futures. Pupils develop their knowledge of religions by visiting different places of worship and their geographical skills through local fieldwork.

What the school should improve

  • A minority of pupils do not follow classroom routines well enough. This sometimes hinders their learning. The school should ensure that high expectations and clear routines are firmly established and applied consistently.
  • Teachers do not have some of the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum effectively. Where this is the case, pupils do not recall knowledge well or deepen their understanding sufficiently. The school should ensure that teachers have the expertise they need to adapt the curriculum and assess pupils' learning precisely.
  • Governors do not gain sufficient insight into the impact of the school's work. Consequently, they cannot challenge leaders to make improvements where required. The school should ensure that governors have the skills they need to seek assurances about the school's effectiveness.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

33 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths27%

27%, 35 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths0%

0%, 8 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score102

102, 4 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score97

97, 8 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score99

99, 6 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

282 pupils on roll, with places for 315

Eligible for free school meals34.8%

34.8%, 8.3 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language6.4%

6.4%, 15.2 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support18.4%

18.4%, 3.6 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3.9%

3.9%, 2.1 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Priestley Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Holy Trinity Church of England Academy0.5 milesReport card: Expected standard to strong standard63% met the expected standard
Marden Vale CofE Academy0.6 milesOfsted: Requires improvement48% met the expected standard
Saint Edmund's Roman Catholic Primary School0.7 milesOfsted judgements: Requires improvement39% met the expected standard
Fynamore Primary School1 mileOfsted: Good50% met the expected standard
Cherhill CofE School2 milesOfsted: Good48% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Community school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr Luke Coles
Address
Prince Charles Drive, Calne, SN11 8TG
Local authority
Wiltshire
URN
126254

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.