Buckstones Primary School

Buckstones Primary School is a happy, welcoming school where pupils are well cared for and are expected to work hard. The inspection found strong provision across the curriculum, with particularly notable strengths in early reading, early writing and mathematics, and in the school's support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils behave well, attendance is supported effectively, and personal development is exceptionally strong, including an extensive range of enrichment opportunities that build character and appreciation of diversity. The school's curriculum is ambitious overall, and staff typically deliver it well, helping pupils achieve consistently high standards. Leadership is effective, governors have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement, and staff receive high-quality training. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is that, in a few subjects, curriculum planning does not make clear enough how learning builds over time. Teachers in these subjects are less clear about the key knowledge pupils need to master, and checks on understanding do not always identify gaps or misconceptions. This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the school was previously graded outstanding.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, welcomed and valued, with respectful relationships across the school.
• The school has an exemplary focus on health and well-being, including pupil well-being champions.
• Staff have high expectations of learning, conduct and wider development for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Pupils benefit from an exceptional range of enrichment opportunities that develop character and understanding of diversity.
• The teaching of early reading is high quality and helps almost all pupils become accurate, proficient readers.
• Early writing and mathematics provision prepares children exceptionally well for future learning.
• The curriculum is ambitious and teachers typically deliver it well, supporting consistently high attainment.
• Support for disadvantaged pupils is exceptional and helps them take part fully in school life.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and typically flourish during their time at the school.
• Personal development provision is extraordinary and strongly promotes inclusion and equality.
• Attendance systems are effective and help most pupils keep up with the curriculum.
• Governors have a forensic understanding of the school's strengths and improvement priorities.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, curriculum planning does not make clear how learning builds effectively over time.
• Key knowledge that pupils need to master at each stage is not clear enough to teachers in these subjects.
• Assessment checks in these subjects do not reliably identify learning gaps or misconceptions.

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 Buckstones Primary School attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.0% 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 Buckstones 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 Buckstones Primary School had 26.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 15.0% of pupils at Buckstones Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.4% 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 Buckstones Primary School received £6,301 and spent £6,340 for each of its 207 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £68,000 (£326 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 Oldham · Oldham local authority: places and applications

What is Buckstones Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Buckstones Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Buckstones Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Buckstones Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Buckstones Primary School have?

Buckstones Primary School has 207 pupils on roll.

What age range does Buckstones Primary School cover?

Buckstones Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Buckstones Primary School?

Buckstones Primary School is at Delamere Avenue, Shaw, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL2 8HN.