St Mary's RC Primary School

St Mary’s RC Primary School is a caring, family-minded school where pupils feel happy, safe and keen to learn. The recently established leadership team has created an ambitious curriculum, and pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well and are prepared for the next stage of their education. Early years provision is strong, reading is a clear priority, and pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are positive; attendance is high and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is the clarity and sequencing of essential knowledge in some curriculum subjects, including aspects of PSHE. In these areas, some pupils have gaps in prior knowledge and find it harder to connect new learning with what they already know, while older pupils struggle to recall key content about healthy relationships and consent. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was previously graded outstanding; under current arrangements, no overall effectiveness grade was given.

Strengths

• A strong family culture helps pupils feel happy, safe and valued
• Leaders have high expectations and have introduced an ambitious curriculum
• Early years children quickly develop positive learning attitudes and concentration
• Reading is a priority, with skilled staff and exemplary support for pupils who struggle
• Pupils with SEND receive exceptional support and thrive academically and socially
• Pupils behave courteously, respect each other and sustain concentration in lessons
• Attendance is high and pupils say they love school
• Personal development includes enterprise activities, debate and respect for others
• Governance is knowledgeable and effectively challenges and supports leaders
• Staff receive effective professional development and their workload and well-being are considered
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Essential knowledge is not clearly identified and sequenced in some curriculum subjects
• Some pupils have gaps in prior knowledge and struggle to connect new learning
• Some aspects of PSHE are less well developed, including healthy relationships and consent

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 Mary's RC Primary School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.9% 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, 0.9% of pupils at St Mary'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 Mary's RC Primary School had 20.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.5% 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, 13.2% of pupils at St Mary's RC Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.2% 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 Mary's RC Primary School received £7,717 and spent £7,856 for each of its 225 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £6,000 (-£26 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 Manchester · Tameside local authority: places and applications

What is St Mary's RC Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

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

St Mary's RC Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

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

St Mary's RC Primary School has 228 pupils on roll.

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

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

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

In 2025, 36% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary's RC Primary School?

St Mary's RC Primary School is at Kynder Street, Denton, Manchester, M34 2AR.