St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw

St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw is a small, welcoming primary where a strong Christian vision and caring ethos create a real sense of togetherness. Staff have high expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and pupils are respectful, polite and behave well. Parents and pupils speak highly of the school, and pupils benefit from strong pastoral care and a broad range of opportunities. The school’s strengths include a strong reading culture, a broad and ambitious curriculum in most subjects, and an impressive personal development programme. Pupils take on responsible roles, enjoy clubs and trips, and are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Leadership is effective, governors provide appropriate support and challenge, staff morale is good, and safeguarding is effective. However, early years provision is the main area for development. The early years curriculum does not clearly identify the precise knowledge and skills children need, and activities do not always support progression, so some children are not as well prepared for key stage 1 as they could be. Some staff also lack the phonics training needed to support pupils who struggle to read, and in a few subjects the curriculum is not yet well sequenced enough for pupils to build knowledge securely. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2015; it was previously judged outstanding and, under the current framework, does not receive an overall effectiveness grade.

Strengths

• Strong caring and inclusive culture underpinned by Christian vision and values
• High expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND
• Pupils are respectful, polite and behave well in lessons and around school
• High-quality care and strong relationships make pupils feel secure
• Reading is a priority, with high-quality texts and consistent phonics teaching
• Broad and ambitious curriculum in most subjects
• Well-structured PSHE programme helps pupils understand healthy relationships and safety
• Impressive character development programme with responsibilities, clubs and trips
• Effective systems support regular and punctual attendance
• Governors provide effective support and challenge, and staff morale is good
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Early years curriculum lacks precise knowledge and skills, and activities do not always support children’s progression
• Some children miss out on knowledge needed to be ready for key stage 1
• Some staff lack the phonics training needed to support pupils who struggle to read
• Curriculum sequencing and key knowledge are not consistently well established in a few subjects

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw had 24.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 20.2% of pupils at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw received £6,686 and spent £6,902 for each of its 99 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £83,000 (-£835 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw have?

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw has 99 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw cover?

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw?

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw is at Bolton Road, Hawkshaw, St Mary's Ce Primary School, Bolton Road, Hawkshaw, Bury, Lancashire, BL8 4JL.