Bowker Vale Primary School

Bowker Vale Primary School remains a good school, providing a supportive and nurturing environment for its pupils. The school's leadership prioritizes inclusivity and has established a curriculum that engages students across various subjects, including those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. Pupils are proud of their diverse community and enjoy participating in extracurricular activities. The school has successfully implemented a phonics program that aids in developing strong reading skills among pupils, with additional support for those who need it.

Strengths

• Teachers deliver the curriculum effectively, helping pupils to remember what they have learned.
• The curriculum is ambitious and accessible for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Pupils feel safe and trusted by staff, contributing to a positive school environment.
• Leaders prioritize personal development, offering numerous opportunities for pupil engagement.
• Staff are well-supported in their workload, promoting a positive work culture.

Areas for Improvement

• Some assessment strategies are less effective, leading to gaps in pupils' knowledge.

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 Bowker Vale Primary School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.9% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Bowker Vale Primary School 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 Bowker Vale Primary School had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.7% 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, 12.8% of pupils at Bowker Vale Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 6 pupils.

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 Bowker Vale Primary School received £8,046 and spent £8,250 for each of its 439 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,000 (£3 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Manchester · Manchester local authority: places and applications

What is Bowker Vale Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bowker Vale Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Bowker Vale Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bowker Vale Primary School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Bowker Vale Primary School have?

Bowker Vale Primary School has 439 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bowker Vale Primary School cover?

Bowker Vale Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Bowker Vale Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bowker Vale Primary School?

Bowker Vale Primary School is at Middleton Road, Higher Crumpsall, Manchester, Lancashire, M8 4NB.