Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Mount Carmel RC Primary School is an exceptionally strong school where pupils are happy, behave excellently and achieve exceptionally well. Inspectors found outstanding provision across every key judgement, including early years, and highlighted the school’s ambitious curriculum, highly effective teaching, strong reading provision and excellent support for pupils with SEND. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enriching experiences and leadership responsibilities, and they are very well prepared for the next stage of their education. Leadership is a notable strength. Trustees and governors know the school well and provide effective support and challenge, while staff are proud to work there and value the culture of ambition and teamwork. Relationships with parents are highly positive, safeguarding arrangements are effective, and pupils’ personal development is exceptional. This was the school’s first routine section 5 inspection since becoming an academy, although it had previously been judged outstanding before conversion. It is part of the Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust. Under arrangements introduced from September 2024, schools are not awarded an overall effectiveness grade. No significant weaknesses were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a caring, inclusive and harmonious 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 their next stage
• Behaviour is excellent and classrooms are calm and purposeful
• The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and meets the needs of the diverse school population
• Reading is a priority, with effective phonics teaching and swift support for pupils who fall behind
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and achieve very well
• Personal development is exceptional, with a wide range of leadership opportunities and enriching experiences
• Trustees and governors are skilled, know the school well and provide effective support and challenge
• Staff are proud to work at the school and value strong teamwork and consideration of workload
• 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 Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.1% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy 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 Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy had 23.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 14.3% of pupils at Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.3% 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 Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy received £7,487 and spent £7,402 for each of its 438 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £278,000 (£634 per pupil).

Across all 27 schools of Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust, income was £5,800 and spending £5,816 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

Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is part of Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• St John Bosco RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester
• St Dunstan's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester
• St Edmund's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester
• St Malachy's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester
• St Matthew's RC High School Manchester
• St Chad's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester
• St Margaret Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester
• St Patrick's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester
• St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester
• Saint John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy Oldham

What is Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have?

Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has 428 pupils on roll.

What age range does Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy cover?

Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is at Wilson Road, Blackley, Manchester, M9 8BG.