Beaver Road Primary School

Beaver Road Primary School is a very large, highly inclusive primary school within the M20 Learning Trust, operating across two sites. This was its first routine section 5 inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first under the current framework; it had previously been judged outstanding before becoming an academy. Inspectors found the school performing exceptionally strongly across all areas, with pupils achieving very well and being superbly prepared for the next stage of their education. The school’s caring, rights-respecting ethos is central to its work. Pupils are proud of their inclusive school, behave exceptionally well, and benefit from an ambitious curriculum, strong teaching, and a well-ordered phonics programme. Pupils with SEND are identified early and supported effectively to learn the same content as their peers, and disadvantaged pupils are included in the school’s high ambitions. Personal development is a particular strength, with a wide range of enriching experiences, leadership opportunities, and community contributions. Leadership is strong, with trustees and governors providing effective support and challenge, and staff feeling proud to work at the school. Attendance is high, safeguarding arrangements are effective, and there are no identified areas for improvement in the report. Overall, this is an outstanding school with a culture of ambition and continuous improvement for pupils and staff alike.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a nurturing, caring and inclusive environment
• The school is highly ambitious for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well and are superbly prepared for the next stage of learning
• Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary, with calm and purposeful classrooms
• Pupils are respectful, confident and articulate
• The curriculum is ambitious and meets the needs of a diverse school population
• Children get off to a flying start in the early years
• Staff use strong subject knowledge to help pupils secure and recall learning
• Learning to read is a priority, and almost all pupils become confident readers
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and supported effectively
• Attendance is high, and the school takes early action to support decline
• The personal development programme is exemplary
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of enriching experiences, including trips, sports, art, music and outdoor education
• Pupils take on leadership roles and contribute to the school and wider community
• Trustees and governors provide effective support and challenge
• Staff are proud to work at the school and value strong relationships and teamwork
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

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 Beaver Road Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.5% 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, 0.2% of pupils at Beaver Road 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 Beaver Road Primary School had 23.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.8% 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, 12.9% of pupils at Beaver Road Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 Beaver Road Primary School received £6,317 and spent £6,161 for each of its 1,045 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £487,000 (£466 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Connect Alliance Trust, income was £6,892 and spending £6,774 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

Beaver Road Primary School is part of Connect Alliance Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Cavendish Primary School Manchester
• Northenden Community School Manchester
• Barlow Hall Primary School Manchester
• Brookburn Community School Manchester

What is Beaver Road Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Beaver Road Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Beaver Road Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Beaver Road Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Beaver Road Primary School have?

Beaver Road Primary School has 1,084 pupils on roll.

What age range does Beaver Road Primary School cover?

Beaver Road Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

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

Where is Beaver Road Primary School?

Beaver Road Primary School is at Beaver Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6SX.