Livingstone Primary School

Livingstone Primary School is a smaller-than-average primary school with 224 pupils. The inspection found strong standards in attendance and behaviour and in inclusion, while achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, leadership and governance, and personal development all met the expected standard. Safeguarding standards are met. Pupils are happy, feel safe and are well cared for, behave consistently well, and attend school regularly. The school's notable strengths include accurate and prompt identification of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, well-tailored support for disadvantaged pupils, and strong outcomes in reading and mathematics. Early years children get a positive start, reading is prioritised, governors provide effective challenge, and pupils benefit from leadership roles and a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Leaders have an accurate view of the school and have made improvements since the previous inspection, supported by the local authority and a partnership with local schools. The main areas for development are writing and curriculum detail. Pupils do not consistently write as accurately as they could across all subjects, and leaders have not set out how pupils will use writing skills across subjects. In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not detailed enough to help pupils build knowledge consistently, and pupils' knowledge is not as detailed as it could be in all subjects. Leaders are honest about these areas and are working to refine them.

Strengths

• Pupils behave consistently well and are polite, respectful and cooperative.
• Attendance is well above national levels and persistent absence is well below national levels.
• Pupils with SEND are identified accurately and promptly, with well-tailored support.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve well above national averages in reading and mathematics.
• Support for pupils known to children's social care is well planned and tailored.
• Early years children get a positive start, with reading prioritised from the start.
• Leaders have an accurate view of the school's strengths and areas for development.
• Governors fulfil statutory duties and provide effective challenge.
• Staff receive useful training and leaders consider wellbeing and workload.
• Pupils show respect, curiosity and understand how to keep themselves safe.
• Pupils benefit from leadership roles and a wide range of enrichment opportunities.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils do not consistently write as accurately as they could across all subjects.
• Leaders have not set out how pupils will use writing skills across subjects.
• In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not detailed enough to help pupils build knowledge consistently.
• Pupils' knowledge is not as detailed as it could be in all subjects.
• In art and design, pupils are less confident applying artists' techniques in their own work.

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 Livingstone Primary School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.3% 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 Livingstone 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 Livingstone Primary School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.4% 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, 18.8% of pupils at Livingstone 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 Livingstone Primary School received £6,789 and spent £6,777 for each of its 214 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £122,000 (£574 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 Ashton-Under-Lyne · Tameside local authority: places and applications

What is Livingstone Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Livingstone Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Livingstone Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Livingstone Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Livingstone Primary School have?

Livingstone Primary School has 218 pupils on roll.

What age range does Livingstone Primary School cover?

Livingstone Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Livingstone Primary School?

Livingstone Primary School is at Valeside, Mossley, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, OL5 0AP.