Lowerplace Primary School

Lowerplace Primary School continues to maintain a good standard of education. It is evident that the school fosters a positive and supportive environment where pupils feel safe, happy, and valued. The strong relationships between staff and students, combined with effective support for pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), contribute to a harmonious school community. The school's commitment to ensuring that students progress well academically is notable, as is its emphasis on creating an engaging reading culture.

Strengths

• Positive relationships between staff and pupils.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• High-quality curriculum leading to good academic outcomes.
• Strong emphasis on reading and vibrant reading areas.
• Opportunities for pupils to participate in clubs and leadership activities.
• Decisive actions taken to enhance phonics instruction.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack logical curriculum delivery leading to gaps in knowledge.
• Year 1 phonics screening check results below national average due to previous curriculum weaknesses and high absence rates.

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 Lowerplace Primary School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.7% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Lowerplace 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 Lowerplace Primary School had 19.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.8% 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, 13.7% of pupils at Lowerplace Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% 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 Lowerplace Primary School received £7,589 and spent £7,597 for each of its 533 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £131,000 (£246 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 Rochdale · Rochdale local authority: places and applications

What is Lowerplace Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Lowerplace Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lowerplace Primary School was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Lowerplace Primary School have?

Lowerplace Primary School has 533 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lowerplace Primary School cover?

Lowerplace Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 41% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lowerplace Primary School?

Lowerplace Primary School is at Kingsway, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL16 4UU.