St Sebastian's RC Primary School

St Sebastian’s RC Primary School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school during this ungraded inspection. Pupils feel safe and happy, supported by trusting relationships with staff who are committed to their well-being and academic success. The school encourages enthusiasm for learning across a broad curriculum, reinforcing high expectations for both academic and social development, while also providing opportunities for pupils to engage in various extracurricular activities that promote confidence and social skills. Overall, most pupils achieve well, although there are some concerns regarding phonics knowledge among a small number of students who joined midway through the year. Although St Sebastian's has made important strides in curriculum improvements, certain subjects still require attention to ensure that all pupils acquire the deep knowledge needed for academic progression. The school has systems in place to support students with special educational needs and/or disabilities, effectively adapting teaching where necessary. Areas for future focus include enhancing phonics teaching and ensuring all students benefit from a robust understanding of the subject matter before progressing to new learning, especially for those who have not received consistent instruction from the start of their education.

Strengths

• Pupils build strong and trusting relationships with staff.
• Effective systems in place to support pupils with SEND.
• Pupils enjoy a broad and ambitious curriculum.
• High expectations for academic achievement are set by teachers.
• Strong focus on social and emotional well-being of pupils.
• Dedicated extracurricular activities that enhance confidence and social skills.
• Well-structured phonics sessions are delivered with expertise.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, teachers do not design learning that deepens pupils' understanding.
• Some pupils have gaps in phonics knowledge, particularly those who joined mid-year.

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 Sebastian's RC Primary School attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.6% 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 St Sebastian's RC 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 St Sebastian's RC Primary School had 15.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.5% 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, 29.1% of pupils at St Sebastian's RC Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% 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 St Sebastian's RC Primary School received £7,969 and spent £8,170 for each of its 227 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £119,000 (£525 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 St Sebastian's RC Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Sebastian's RC Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was St Sebastian's RC Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Sebastian's RC Primary School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does St Sebastian's RC Primary School have?

St Sebastian's RC Primary School has 227 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Sebastian's RC Primary School cover?

St Sebastian's RC Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Sebastian's RC Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Sebastian's RC Primary School?

St Sebastian's RC Primary School is at Douglas Green, Salford, Greater Manchester, M6 6ET.