Balshaw Lane Primary School is a community primary school in Euxton, near Chorley, Lancashire.

We are located on Balshaw Lane with access to the school via Bredon Avenue.

We take up to 60 pupils into Reception each year in two straight-age classes.

The school was opened in 1976 and is situated on a pleasant, open site with playing fields and two playgrounds.

We are proud to be members of the Euxton community.

Our school has a family, welcoming feeling and there is a great community atmosphere. 

Aspirational Futures multi-academy trust

Our school has entered a new, exciting chapter.

We are a founding school within Aspirational Futures multi-academy trust (MAT) with Parklands High, Walton-leDale High, Gillibrand Primary and Highfield Primary.

Our children have automatic admission to Parklands, if parents want it.

The MAT will provide increased opportunities for improved transition and collaboration.

We are an accessible school with a ramp at the front door and all rooms on one level.

Our classrooms

There are 6 classes in KS1 and EYFA, and 8 in KS2 with intervention rooms nearby for support group work.

The Reception classrooms have their own Early Years play area and are located near the infants' playground and field. These classrooms are set out for continuous provision for the Early Years learning areas. They are engaging classrooms with cosy corners for reading; role play scenarios and creative areas. 

The Year 1 classrooms are located next to the Reception classrooms which aids the children's smooth transition at the end of their first year. These classrooms are set up for increasing independent work but also for transitional continuous provision.

The Year 2 classrooms are in the centre of the school building so the children exit via the KS2 playground at the end of the day. The Y2 classrooms were refurbished as part of the expansion project so they look similar in decor to the KS2 classrooms.

The Key Stage 2 (KS2: Years 3-6) classrooms are in the expansion part of the building.

They are modern, airy and welcoming. They are decorated in a neutral palette so that displays of children's work or working walls are the focus.

All classrooms have external doors, good ventilation, a sink area and most have integral cloakrooms.

The outdoor area

We are fortunate to have fantastic outdoor spaces. At the front of school, there is the KS2 playground with picnic benches; the garden area and the multi-use games area.

We also have our own pond area for science and nature studies and a gazebo for outdoor learning

At the rear of school, there is a separate infants' playground; the Early Years play area and a large field.

The school backs onto Euxton Cricket Club so there is a real feeling of space around the school with lots of trees around the field.

On the KS2 playground we have a wonderful reading shelter which the children can access at play and lunch times. 

Library

We have a welcoming, well-stocked library with a great selection of fiction and non-fiction books.

Each classroom also has its own class library for high quality texts.

ICT facilities

The classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards and a teacher's PC.

We have several suites of laptops and iPads which we use flexibly across the curriculum and for discrete computing lessons.

We also use Beebots and datalogging equipment as part of our teaching.

Music facilities

Music is a strength of the school.

We invest in a wide range of percussion instruments with which the children become very competent. They are taught to compose using a variety of notation and to play confidently. 

The Year 3 children are taught to play the ocarina each year. By the end of KS2, the children have also learnt to play the recorder and glockenspiel.

Individual music tuition is offered in keyboard, guitar, woodwind and drums.

Sport facilities

It is great to have the outdoor space for sport, especially the MUGA for use in damper weather.

We also have a large hall for indoor PE and games.

We have a wide range of PE equipment and have invested in this over the years.

Extra-curricular PE clubs take place in the hall and/or outdoors. These include a wide range of sporting and non-sporting activities. 

The Hall

As well as for PE and clubs, we use the hall for assemblies and lunchtimes. 

We have our Breakfast Club in the hall each morning from 8.30am.

School kitchen

We have our own kitchen which prepares fresh meals each day.

The catering staff are employed by Lancashire local authority.

We have a large uptake for our tasty meals.

Nearly all infants have the Universal Free School Meals and many KS2 children have paid school meals.

Children on school meals can sit with children with packed lunches.

Time Out club at Yarrow Nursery

Yarrow nursery is situated in our school grounds.

It offers a breakfast club and after-school club for our children.

Please contact 01257 262070 for more information.