Thorneyholme Roman Catholic Primary School, Dunsop Bridge
Trough Road, Dunsop Bridge, Clitheroe, BB7 3BGOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Thorneyholme Roman Catholic Primary School, Dunsop Bridge is a primary school in Clitheroe for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 692 schools in Lancashire. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in May 2015.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 12 May 2015, report published 8 June 2015
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 11 March 2025
Pupils are happy and proud to belong to this welcoming school community. They appreciate that this makes it easier to build friendships with others. Staff provide for the differing needs of individual pupils with thoughtfulness and care. This is particularly true for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has high expectations for pupils' academic achievement. Pupils typically achieve well. They particularly enjoy learning about and exploring the uniqueness of their local rural environment. For example, 'curlew ambassadors' track the migration patterns of these birds that nest near to the school. Children settle quickly in the early years. They learn how to consider the needs of others and the benefits of working cooperatively. Older pupils build on this firm foundation. They behave well in class and as they move around the school. Pupils of all ages play together happily at breaktimes. They become engrossed in making homes to provide shelter for minibeasts and other wildlife in their outdoor forest area. Here, pupils successfully apply what they have learned in the classroom to solve problems, such as how to lift and move heavy objects safely. Activities such as these help pupils to develop their well-being, confidence and resilience.
What the school should improve
- The school has introduced substantial changes to the curriculum in a number of subjects, including a new phonics and a handwriting programme, which are not fully embedded. At times, this impacts on teachers' abilities to focus on what pupils most need to learn. On occasions, the rate at which pupils learn slows as a result. The school should ensure that it supports teachers to develop their expertise in delivering the refined curriculums and address gaps in pupils' knowledge consistently well.
- The school's systems for evaluating the impact of the curriculum are at the early stages of development. This means that the school is not as clear as it could be about how effectively pupils are learning or how well teachers are managing their workload. The school should provide the support that curriculum leaders need to identify what is working well in their areas of responsibility and what could be strengthened further.
Pupil numbers and mix
25 pupils on roll, with places for 70
Schools near Thorneyholme Roman Catholic Primary School, Dunsop Bridge
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slaidburn Brennands Endowed Primary School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Brabins Endowed School | 5 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | 90% met the expected standard |
| St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Chipping | 5 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | Not published |
| Waddington and West Bradford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | 6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 55% met the expected standard |
| Cawthorne's Endowed School | 6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 67% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mrs Claire Halstead
- Phone
- 01200448276
- Address
- Trough Road, Dunsop Bridge, Clitheroe, BB7 3BG
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- URN
- 119689
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.