Poplar Street Primary School

Poplar Street Primary is a larger-than-average primary school in Audenshaw, part of the Victorious Academies Trust, serving a community with well-above-average deprivation and a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. This full inspection in September 2026 found the school meeting the expected standard in every inspected area, with safeguarding standards met. Leaders have brought about positive change since the previous inspection, particularly in curriculum design and in the attainment and attendance of disadvantaged pupils. Strengths include an ambitious, carefully organised curriculum from Nursery to Year 6, strong early years provision, effective inclusion for pupils with SEND, and highly effective use of pupil premium funding. Pupils are typically well prepared for their next stage, attend regularly, and benefit from an orderly, nurturing environment with positive relationships and a broad personal development offer. Parents are largely positive, and staff value the support they receive. Concerns are concentrated on consistency in key stage 2. Some pupils have gaps or misconceptions that are not addressed promptly, assessment information is not always used as leaders intend, and extended writing opportunities across subjects are limited. Leaders' checks have not always identified or tackled variability in curriculum and teaching quickly enough. National test attainment has improved year on year and was close to average in 2025, although latest three-year averages remain below national in combined reading, writing and mathematics.

Strengths

• Ambitious, carefully organised curriculum from Nursery to Year 6
• Strong early years provision that builds reading, writing and mathematics foundations
• Effective inclusion and support for pupils with SEND, including those with EHC plans
• Highly effective use of pupil premium funding to improve disadvantaged pupils' attendance and attainment
• Effective attendance systems and proactive work with external partners
• Orderly, nurturing environment where bullying and discrimination are seldom seen
• Positive pupil attitudes to learning and respectful relationships
• Broad personal development offer covering health, British values, responsibilities, trips and clubs
• Pastoral support that helps pupils with worries and transition to secondary school
• Staff workload and wellbeing are well supported, and training is valued
• Many parents are positive and would recommend the school
• Pupils are typically well prepared for their next stages of education

Areas for Improvement

• Some key stage 2 pupils have gaps in knowledge or misconceptions that are not addressed promptly
• Assessment information is not always used as leaders intend
• Extended writing opportunities across curriculum subjects are limited
• Leaders' checks have not always identified or addressed variability in curriculum and teaching promptly
• Pupils do not consistently develop fluency, stamina or ability to communicate knowledge across subjects
• Latest three-year average attainment is below national in combined reading, writing and mathematics

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 Poplar Street Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.7% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Poplar Street 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 Poplar Street Primary School had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.8% 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, 15.2% of pupils at Poplar Street Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% 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 Poplar Street Primary School received £6,687 and spent £6,495 for each of its 442 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £441,000 (£1,000 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Victorious Academies Trust, income was £6,986 and spending £6,999 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 · Tameside local authority: places and applications

Poplar Street Primary School is part of Victorious Academies Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• St Anne's Primary School Manchester
• Aldwyn Primary School Manchester
• Lyndhurst Primary School Dukinfield
• Yew Tree Primary School Dukinfield
• Greenside Primary School Manchester
• Inspire Academy Tameside
• Holden Clough Primary School Ashton-Under-Lyne
• Discovery Academy Hyde
• Wild Bank Primary School Stalybridge
• Pinfold Primary School Hyde

What is Poplar Street Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Poplar Street Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Poplar Street Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Poplar Street Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Poplar Street Primary School have?

Poplar Street Primary School has 447 pupils on roll.

What age range does Poplar Street Primary School cover?

Poplar Street Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Poplar Street Primary School?

Poplar Street Primary School is at Ravenwood Drive, Audenshaw, Manchester, M34 5EF.