Dowson Primary Academy

Dowson Primary Academy is a larger-than-average primary school in Hyde, part of The Enquire Learning Trust. Inspected in July 2026, the school is performing strongly overall. Leaders have high expectations, and pupils behave consistently well, attend regularly, and achieve well from their starting points. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school's curriculum, teaching, inclusion, leadership, and personal development are all rated strong, with particular strengths in attendance, behaviour, and support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

Strengths

• High expectations for attendance with consistently above-national-average rates for all groups.
• Pupils behave consistently well, with older pupils acting as excellent role models.
• Curriculum builds knowledge successfully over time and is taught consistently well.
• Leaders use detailed understanding to refine curriculum and teaching effectively.
• Teachers adapt the curriculum skilfully for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Leaders identify barriers to learning swiftly and accurately and respond effectively.
• Staff are highly trained to support pupils with SEND, enabling independent access to lessons.
• Leadership and governance are strong, with appropriate challenge and support for staff wellbeing.
• Comprehensive personal development programme, including the 'Dowson Promise', prepares pupils well for modern Britain.
• Pupils develop confidence, independence, and secure knowledge of safety and healthy relationships.
• Pupils achieve well from their starting points and are well prepared for the next stage.
• Early years curriculum develops key knowledge, and phonics is taught consistently well.
• Positive, trusting relationships and respectful behaviour are evident across the school.
• A wide range of trips and sporting competitions enhance learning and school pride.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching needs further strengthening so more pupils achieve the higher standard in national tests at the end of Year 6.
• Early years provision should maximise learning and development opportunities so children are even better prepared for Year 1.

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 Dowson Primary Academy attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.3% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Dowson Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 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 Dowson Primary Academy had 29.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 2.6% 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, 15.9% of pupils at Dowson Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 Dowson Primary Academy received £6,293 and spent £6,263 for each of its 475 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £81,000 (£170 per pupil).

Across all 32 schools of The Enquire Learning Trust, income was £7,171 and spending £7,034 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 Hyde · Tameside local authority: places and applications

Dowson Primary Academy is part of The Enquire Learning Trust, which runs 32 schools. The nearest others:

• Endeavour Primary Academy Hyde
• Godley Community Primary Academy Hyde
• Flowery Field Primary School Hyde
• Linden Road Academy Tameside
• Oakfield Primary and Moderate Learning Difficulties Resource Provision Hyde
• Bradley Green Primary Academy Hyde
• Moorside Primary School Manchester
• Manchester Road Primary Academy Manchester
• Broughton Primary Academy Brigg
• Buckingham Primary Academy Hull

What is Dowson Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Dowson Primary Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Dowson Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Dowson Primary Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Dowson Primary Academy have?

Dowson Primary Academy has 477 pupils on roll.

What age range does Dowson Primary Academy cover?

Dowson Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Dowson Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Dowson Primary Academy?

Dowson Primary Academy is at Marlborough Road, Hyde, Cheshire, SK14 5HU.