Ladybarn Primary School

Ladybarn Primary School has received its first inspection since becoming an academy and has been rated as good overall, with outstanding ratings in behaviour and attitudes. Students thrive in a supportive environment that fosters a sense of community and belonging. The curriculum is ambitious and effectively tailored to meet the needs of all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Nevertheless, there are concerns about certain staff not having the necessary training to fully support older students in developing their reading skills, which can hinder these pupils' progress.

Strengths

• Pupils are supported in developing a strong sense of community and belonging.
• The school promotes a love of reading across all age groups.
• Teachers collaborate effectively to design learning that enhances pupil understanding.
• Pupil behaviour is exceptional, supported by effective systems.
• Strong emphasis on personal development and appreciation of diversity.

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff lack expertise in supporting older pupils with reading difficulties.

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 Ladybarn Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.6% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Ladybarn 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 Ladybarn Primary School had 23.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 33.2% 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, 10.6% of pupils at Ladybarn Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.1% 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 2024–25 Ladybarn Primary School received £6,859 and spent £7,362 for each of its 488 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £118,000 (£241 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Kingsway Community Trust, income was £7,104 and spending £7,500 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Manchester · Manchester local authority: places and applications

Ladybarn Primary School is part of Kingsway Community Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Green End Primary School Manchester
• Cringle Brook Primary School Levenshulme

What is Ladybarn Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ladybarn Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Ladybarn Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ladybarn Primary School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Ladybarn Primary School have?

Ladybarn Primary School has 462 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ladybarn Primary School cover?

Ladybarn Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ladybarn Primary School?

Ladybarn Primary School is at Briarfield Road, Withington, Manchester, M20 4SR.