Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School
Fence, Burnley, BB12 9ED
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Methodist
- Trust
- EPWORTH EDUCATION TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sara Butterfield
- Sponsor
- Epworth Education Trust
- Constituency
- Pendle and Clitheroe
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 207
- URN
- 150581
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01282617214
About this school
Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School is a Methodist primary academy in Burnley. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 207 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 14 March 2023, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
This inspection took place when the school was registered as Wheatley Lane Methodist Voluntary Aided Primary School (URN 119702).
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 29 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 72% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 10% |
| Expected standard in reading | 86% |
| Expected standard in maths | 90% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 93% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 106.0 |
How Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School compares
Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School ranked 120th of 445 primary schools in Lancashire for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 71% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 74% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 72% | 4.4% | 7.7% | 207 | — |
| Newchurch-In-Pendle St Mary's Church of England Primary School | 83% | 2.9% | 16.4% | 53 | 1.2 miles |
| Pendle Primary Academy | 64% | 5.8% | 29.8% | 415 | 1.4 miles |
| Higham St John's Church of England Primary School | 53% | 4.9% | 19.6% | 120 | 1.4 miles |
| Lomeshaye Junior School | 80% | 4.6% | 41.7% | 352 | 1.5 miles |
| Roughlee Church of England Primary School | 100% | 5.4% | 37.3% | 50 | 1.6 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 7.69%
- English as an additional language
- 1.4%
- Overall absence
- 4.41%
- Persistent absence
- 10.99%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Newchurch-In-Pendle St Mary's Church of England Primary School1.2 miles
Primary · Burnley
-
Pendle Primary Academy1.4 miles
Primary · Nelson
-
Higham St John's Church of England Primary School1.4 miles
Primary · Burnley
-
Lomeshaye Junior School1.5 miles
Primary · Nelson
-
Roughlee Church of England Primary School1.6 miles
Primary · Nelson
Other schools in Burnley
Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School ranks 6th of the 33 ranked primary schools in Burnley.
- Barden Primary School Primary
- Briercliffe Primary School Primary
- Burnley Brunshaw Primary School Primary
- Burnley Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School Primary
- Burnley Ightenhill Primary School Primary
- Burnley Lowerhouse Junior School Primary
- Burnley Springfield Community Primary School Primary
- Burnley St Peter's Church of England Primary School Primary
- Burnley St Stephen's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Primary
- Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School Primary
- Casterton Primary Academy Primary
- Cherry Fold Community Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School teach?
- Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Burnley.
- Who is the headteacher of Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School?
- The headteacher of Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School is Mrs Sara Butterfield, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School?
- Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School has 207 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School full?
- Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School has capacity for 210 pupils and 207 on roll (99%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School is designated Methodist.
- Does Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School?
- Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School is part of EPWORTH EDUCATION TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How does Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School rank locally?
- Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School ranked 120th of 445 primary schools in Lancashire for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 71% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 74% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School's absence rate?
- Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School's overall absence rate is 4.4% in the latest published census.
- What are Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.