St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School

St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School has transitioned from an 'Outstanding' rating to being judged as 'Good' in its first routine inspection after a significant gap. Overall, the school provides a positive educational environment where pupils feel safe, well cared for, and motivated. The new curriculum is helping pupils achieve well, particularly in reading, where effective phonics training has shown strong results. While the school has high expectations for pupil achievement and promotes positive behaviour, it must address certain issues related to supporting students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and improving assessment systems in some subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and well cared for.
• High expectations for all pupils’ achievement.
• Effective support for pupils with additional needs.
• Strong focus on reading with a well-implemented phonics program.
• Pupils demonstrate respect and understanding of diversity.
• Leaders and governors work effectively with parents and staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent knowledge of different types of SEND among some teachers.
• Underdeveloped assessment systems in a few subjects.

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 Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.4% 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 St Ambrose Barlow Catholic 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 Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School had 29.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 42.9% 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, 11.8% of pupils at St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School received £6,565 and spent £6,569 for each of its 212 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £127,000 (£599 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 (Wigan) · Wigan local authority: places and applications

What is St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School have?

St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School has 212 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School cover?

St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School?

St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School is at Manchester Road, Astley, Tyldesley, Manchester, M29 7DY.