Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre

Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre is a large, inclusive community primary that has managed a period of significant leadership disruption with calm continuity. Safeguarding is effective, and pupils are happy, safe and well supported. The early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing are strengths: children get a strong start, pupils with SEND are well understood and supported, disadvantaged pupils achieve well relative to national averages, and the personal development curriculum is thoughtful and broad. However, the school has long-standing weaknesses in reading and phonics, with too many pupils leaving Year 6 or Year 1 without the expected standard, which affects readiness for the next stage. Attendance and persistent absence have also been below national averages for too many years, although recent action has begun to improve attendance. Curriculum and teaching need attention: in some subjects teachers do not check pupils' understanding precisely enough, expectations in reading are not consistently high, and some pupils struggle to recall learning or stay focused when work does not meet their needs. Leaders know what needs to improve and have introduced training and other strategies, but several of these are at an early stage, so sustained improvement is not yet secure. The interim leadership, strengthened governance, and positive relationships with staff and families provide a sound platform for the next steps.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils feel safe and well supported.
• Early years provision is ambitious, well considered, and prioritises children's physical development and wellbeing.
• Inclusion is a clear strength, with accurate identification of needs and effective therapeutic and SEND support.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve well and attend school regularly, supported by judicious use of additional funds.
• Leadership has maintained calm continuity through significant disruption and has an accurate view of school priorities.
• Governance is strengthened, fulfils statutory duties, and shares leaders' ambition and commitment to inclusion.
• The personal development and wellbeing programme is detailed, enriching, and helps pupils learn how to stay safe.
• Pupils generally behave calmly and purposefully, and incidents of bullying or unkindness are rare and dealt with promptly.
• Staff value training, feel well supported, and contribute to a positive team spirit.
• Parents and carers appreciate the school's kind approach and generally positive home-school relationships.
• Pupils have clear aspirations, and older pupils feel prepared for the transition to secondary school.
• Phonics teaching in Reception is now consistent, and most children are ready for the transition to Year 1.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievement in reading has been below the national average for too long, hindering readiness for the next stage of education.
• Phonics screening outcomes at the end of Year 1 have not been good enough over time.
• Attendance and persistent absence have been below national averages for too many years.
• Recent improvements in attendance are at an early stage, and their long-term impact is not yet proven.
• In some subjects, teachers do not identify precisely what pupils know and can do well enough.
• Learning is sometimes moved on too quickly, or work does not make pupils think deeply enough about new ideas.
• Teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve in reading.
• Some pupils do not develop the reading fluency they should, and gaps in learning are not always addressed.
• Some pupils struggle to recall learning across the wider curriculum, such as in history.
• Some pupils are easily distracted in lessons because the curriculum does not always meet their learning needs.
• Too many pupils have not attained the expected standard in key stage 2 reading or the Year 1 phonics test.
• Leaders should ensure teachers have the skills and knowledge to identify precisely what pupils know and can do, so gaps are addressed.
• Leaders should continue strategies to improve achievement, particularly in reading and phonics.
• Leaders should continue embedding attendance systems, including for pupils who are persistently absent.

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 Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.2% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre 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 Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.0% 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, 23.9% of pupils at Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre received £7,158 and spent £7,222 for each of its 511 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £85,000 (£167 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 Salford · Salford local authority: places and applications

What is Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre last inspected by Ofsted?

Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre have?

Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre has 511 pupils on roll.

What age range does Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre cover?

Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre?

Primrose Hill Primary School and Children's Centre is at Phoebe Street, Ordsall, Salford, Greater Manchester, M5 3PJ.