Lyndhurst Primary School

Lyndhurst Primary School is a smaller-than-average primary in Dukinfield, Cheshire, which joined the Victorious Academies Trust in October 2023. It serves a community with well-above-average levels of deprivation: around 62% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, about 20% receive SEN support and 6.4% have an EHC plan. Inspectors found the school meeting the expected standard in every evaluated area - achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, and leadership and governance - and confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are met. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, attain broadly in line with national averages in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 and achieve well from their starting points. The strongest features are the school's caring, orderly culture and the determined drive of leaders to remove barriers to learning. Phonics is taught effectively so younger pupils read quickly, handwriting has been improved deliberately, and the early years provision has been reworked to give children a strong start, including a richer outdoor environment. Attendance is followed up rigorously, behaviour is calm and respectful, and pupils with SEND are generally well supported through timely identification and tailored adaptations. Governance is diligent, staff feel well supported and workload is managed sensibly, and a thoughtfully planned personal development programme - enriched by trips, clubs and pastoral care - prepares pupils well for life beyond school. The main areas for improvement are narrow but consistent. Spelling is not taught well enough across the school, so spelling errors weaken the quality of pupils' written work. Assessment practice also varies: some teachers do not check precisely enough what pupils already know, so tasks are occasionally pitched too hard, and a small number of pupils, including some with SEND, struggle to complete the work set. Leaders are already aware of where the curriculum is working well and where further refinement is needed, and the report's next steps focus on these two issues.

Strengths

• Effective phonics teaching means younger pupils learn to read quickly and receive strong support if they fall behind
• Pupils' handwriting is accurate and a clear point of pride, reflecting leaders' focused improvement work
• Well-designed early years provision, including an enhanced outdoor area, gives children a positive start and builds core strength and dexterity
• Rigorous attendance follow-up and positive staff relationships help pupils, including those with SEND, attend regularly
• Pupils behave respectfully and calmly, with low-level disruption rare and bullying not tolerated
• Swift, proportionate responses to behaviour issues, supported by 'chat passes', 'The Lounge' and a therapy dog
• Strong inclusion systems that identify needs early and provide tailored support such as LEGO therapy, writing slopes and ear defenders
• Effective use of pupil premium funding to provide targeted English and mathematics support for disadvantaged pupils
• A thoughtfully planned personal development programme, enriched by visits, assemblies, clubs and global celebrations
• Pupils have secure knowledge of online safety, water safety and road safety, and understand respect for difference
• Diligent governance that fulfils statutory duties, provides appropriate support and challenge, and secures resources for leaders
• Staff are proud to work at the school and value leaders' compassionate approach, useful training and management of workload
• Positive partnerships with parents, children's services, other trust schools and specialist therapists

Areas for Improvement

• Spelling is not taught consistently well, leading to errors that detract from the quality of pupils' written work
• Assessment checks vary between teachers, so work is sometimes pitched too hard and does not match pupils' starting points
• On isolated occasions, pupils - including some with SEND - struggle to complete the work that has been set
• Leaders need to ensure pupils consistently build the knowledge required to spell accurately and write with greater precision

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 Lyndhurst Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.8% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Lyndhurst Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Lyndhurst Primary School had 17.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.9% 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, 25.6% of pupils at Lyndhurst Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.7% 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 Lyndhurst Primary School received £8,415 and spent £8,422 for each of its 217 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £108,000 (£496 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 Dukinfield · Tameside local authority: places and applications

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

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

What is Lyndhurst Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Lyndhurst Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lyndhurst Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Lyndhurst Primary School have?

Lyndhurst Primary School has 211 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lyndhurst Primary School cover?

Lyndhurst Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lyndhurst Primary School?

Lyndhurst Primary School is at Lyndhurst Community Primary School, Lyndhurst Community Primary School, Hill Street, Dukinfield, Cheshire, SK16 4JS.