Ivy Bank Primary School

Ivy Bank Primary School continues to maintain a good standard of education as confirmed in this recent inspection. Pupils are reported to be happy and engaged in their learning, achieving higher than before due to the support and nurturing environment provided by the staff. There is a strong emphasis on safety and well-being, with a culture that allows pupils to voice concerns and receive help when needed. The school has effectively implemented a range of creative, sporting, and cultural opportunities, enhancing pupils' overall development and instilling a sense of responsibility within the community.

Strengths

• Pupils show positive attitudes towards learning and encourage each other.
• The school has raised expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Teachers demonstrate expert subject knowledge and effectively deliver the curriculum.
• Innovative support for early reading has led to most pupils becoming fluent readers by the end of key stage 1.
• Leaders have a strong understanding of pupils' needs and adapt lessons accordingly.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, curriculum planning is not fully finalized, hindering teachers' clarity on knowledge progression.

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 Ivy Bank Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.1% 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 Ivy Bank 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 Ivy Bank Primary School had 22.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.3% 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, 15.5% of pupils at Ivy Bank Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 14 pupils.

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 Ivy Bank Primary School received £7,001 and spent £6,903 for each of its 404 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £185,000 (£458 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of The Aspire Educational Trust, income was £6,867 and spending £6,913 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 Macclesfield · Cheshire East local authority: places and applications

Ivy Bank Primary School is part of The Aspire Educational Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Ash Grove Academy Macclesfield
• Parkroyal Community School Macclesfield
• Puss Bank School and Nursery Macclesfield
• Hollinhey Primary School Macclesfield
• Hurdsfield Community Primary School and Nursery Macclesfield
• The Wilmslow Academy Wilmslow
• Peover Superior Endowed Primary School Knutsford
• Holmes Chapel Primary School Crewe
• Sandbach Primary Academy Sandbach
• Wilbraham Primary School Manchester

What is Ivy Bank Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Ivy Bank Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ivy Bank Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Ivy Bank Primary School have?

Ivy Bank Primary School has 387 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ivy Bank Primary School cover?

Ivy Bank Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ivy Bank Primary School?

Ivy Bank Primary School is at Valley Road, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 8PB.