Gorsefield Primary School

Gorsefield Primary School continues to perform well, maintaining its good status since its last inspection in January 2018. The school fosters a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and valued, demonstrating excellent behavior and a strong sense of belonging. Leaders have implemented a comprehensive curriculum aimed at overcoming barriers to learning, which benefits all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The school community reflects high aspirations and has adapted well post-COVID, although historical attendance issues have left gaps in some older pupils' learning that are still being addressed.

Strengths

• Pupils have a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school.
• The curriculum is well-designed and connects knowledge with social and cultural experiences.
• Leaders effectively utilize pupil voices in school decision-making.
• Strong emphasis on tolerance, respect, and personal development.
• Teachers deliver the curriculum effectively and staff support each other.
• Pupils display high levels of behavior and enthusiasm for learning.

Areas for Improvement

• Older pupils' progress through the curriculum is uneven in some subjects due to past attendance issues.

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 Gorsefield Primary School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.8% 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 Gorsefield 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 Gorsefield Primary School had 15.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.4% 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, 10.8% of pupils at Gorsefield Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.5% 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 2024–25 Gorsefield Primary School received £7,681 and spent £8,249 for each of its 326 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £444,000 (£1,365 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,286 and spending £7,417 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 · Bury local authority: places and applications

Gorsefield Primary School is part of Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• Greenhill Primary School Bury
• St Paul's Church of England Primary School Bury
• St Paul's CofE Primary School, Astley Bridge Bolton
• Middleton Parish Church School Manchester
• St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School Bolton
• St John's Church of England Primary School Manchester
• Beacon Primary School Bolton
• St Thomas' Church of England Primary School Rochdale
• St John With St Michael Church of England Primary School Rochdale
• Canon Johnson CofE Primary School Ashton-Under-Lyne

What is Gorsefield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Gorsefield Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Gorsefield Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Gorsefield Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Gorsefield Primary School have?

Gorsefield Primary School has 332 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gorsefield Primary School cover?

Gorsefield Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Gorsefield Primary School?

Gorsefield Primary School is at Robertson Street, Radcliffe, Manchester, M26 4DW.