Sandbrook Community Primary School

Sandbrook Community Primary School is facing significant challenges in several key areas, although there are also notable strengths. The overall performance of the school is currently below the national average, particularly in national assessments at key stage 2 where pupils are inadequately prepared for secondary school. While disadvantaged pupils' attainment has shown improvement, many pupils are still lacking essential skills, especially in reading and mathematics. The school's attendance rates are also a concern, with overall attendance and persistent absence figures remaining high compared to national averages, impacting learning.

Strengths

• Strong culture of safeguarding where pupils feel safe and cared for
• Effective home visits and family involvement strategies to promote attendance
• Successful phonics programme delivering good results
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils fostering a calm learning environment

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' overall attendance is below the national average
• Achievement in national assessments at key stage 2 is below the national average
• Gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills, particularly in reading and mathematics
• Inconsistent quality of teaching and curriculum delivery across all year groups
• Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is not consistently 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 Sandbrook Community Primary School attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 24.8% 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, 2.5% of pupils at Sandbrook Community Primary School 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 Sandbrook Community Primary School had 23.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.8% 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, 20.4% of pupils at Sandbrook Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% 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 Sandbrook Community Primary School received £7,548 and spent £8,254 for each of its 585 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £212,000 (£362 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Watergrove Trust, income was £7,937 and spending £8,400 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 Rochdale · Rochdale local authority: places and applications

Sandbrook Community Primary School is part of Watergrove Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone Rochdale
• Matthew Moss High School Rochdale
• Falinge Park High School Rochdale
• Moorhouse Academy Rochdale
• Kentmere Primary Academy Rochdale
• St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Nursery Rochdale
• Wardle Academy Rochdale
• St James' Church of England Primary School Rochdale

What is Sandbrook Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sandbrook Community Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Sandbrook Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sandbrook Community Primary School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Sandbrook Community Primary School have?

Sandbrook Community Primary School has 583 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sandbrook Community Primary School cover?

Sandbrook Community Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sandbrook Community Primary School?

Sandbrook Community Primary School is at Hartley Lane, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL11 2LR.