Varna Community Primary School

Varna Community Primary School is a highly effective, aspirational school where pupils are happy, safe and achieve well. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified quickly and supported effectively, and behaviour is excellent. Children get an exceptional start in the early years, with strong routines, highly positive relationships with parents and carers, and excellent preparation for key stage 1. Reading is a clear priority, phonics is taught well, and pupils who fall behind are helped to catch up quickly. The school's personal development programme is exceptional, helping pupils understand their mental and physical health, online safety and difference, and preparing them well for life in modern Britain. Staff feel proud and well supported, parents are overwhelmingly positive, and governors provide effective support and challenge. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and under the current framework no overall effectiveness grade was awarded. The main area for improvement is that, in a few subjects, opportunities to recap and recall previous learning are not used consistently across classes. As a result, some pupils are less confident in recalling what they have been taught or in building on prior knowledge, and the school should strengthen these foundations so that new learning builds securely on what pupils already know.

Strengths

• Exceptional early years provision with strong routines and highly positive parent relationships
• Excellent pupil behaviour, politeness and positive attitudes to learning
• Exceptional personal development programme covering health, safety, difference and modern Britain
• Strong reading and phonics provision with swift catch-up for pupils who fall behind
• High ambition and effective support for pupils with SEND
• Broad and ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of a diverse pupil population
• Effective attendance and punctuality procedures supported by work with families
• Staff feel well supported and positive teamwork is evident across the school
• Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school's nurturing approach
• Governors have effective systems to support and challenge the school
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, recap and recall of prior learning are not consistently implemented, leaving some pupils less confident in recalling and building on prior 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 Varna Community Primary School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.1% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Varna Community 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 Varna Community Primary School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.1% 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, 26.3% of pupils at Varna Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.6% 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 Varna Community Primary School received £7,731 and spent £7,825 for each of its 467 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £139,000 (£298 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

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What is Varna Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Varna Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Varna Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Varna Community Primary School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Varna Community Primary School have?

Varna Community Primary School has 467 pupils on roll.

What age range does Varna Community Primary School cover?

Varna Community Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Varna Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 39% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Varna Community Primary School?

Varna Community Primary School is at Chisholm Street, Openshaw, Manchester, M11 2LE.