Buckstones Primary School, Oldham
Buckstones Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Oldham. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 68 schools in Oldham with published results, and 474th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Oldham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Buckstones Primary School in detail
Buckstones Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "1. To be an inclusive school and to put into practice in all aspects of our work that ensures that all learners are given equality of opportunity and treated fairly. 2. To promote and achieve high standards for all by providing teaching and learning of the highest quality. 3."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, athletics and cross-country.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at Buckstones Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 97% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 74% in Oldham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 90% in reading and 90% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Buckstones Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 37 families put Buckstones Primary School as their first choice and 91 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Buckstones Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Buckstones Primary School are East Crompton St George's CofE School (0.2 miles, Good, 69% reading, 66% maths); East Crompton St James CofE Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 66% reading, 72% maths); Rushcroft Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 97% reading, 93% maths); and Beal Vale Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 72% reading, 72% maths).
Buckstones Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
East Crompton St George's CofE SchoolEast Crompton St James CofE Primary SchoolRushcroft Primary SchoolBeal Vale Primary School
What parents say
40 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Buckstones Primary School (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
10.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 31 pupils (15%) received SEN support and 3 (1.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Shaw and Crompton (Manchester Metrolink), about 910 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Buckstones Terminus (at), 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Buckstones Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Buckstones is a happy school where everyone is welcome. From the start of the Reception Year, children and pupils learn how to look after themselves and each other. Pupils enjoy authentic and respectful relationships with other pupils and staff. They feel comfortable being themselves and everyone is valued.
Pupils benefit from an exemplary focus on maintaining health and well-being. The pupil 'well-being champions' play a pivotal role in ensuring that everyone feels included.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has successfully built its curriculum around the aim of giving pupils a 'love of life and learning'. The school's teaching of reading is high quality and central to the fulfilment of this aim. As soon as they join the school, children learn a well-planned early reading curriculum. Staff deliver this curriculum expertly. Pupils learn different letters and sounds at pace. Pupils who need it receive support that is closely matched to their needs. As a result, almost all pupils gain the knowledge to become accurate and proficient readers.
Staff in the Reception class and key stage 1 help pupils to develop their knowledge of early writing and mathematics. Pupils practise their letter formation and spelling of key words frequently. Teachers systematically build pupils' knowledge and understanding of number and counting. As a result, children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 are exceptionally well prepared for future learning.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its March 2014 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
10.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
40 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 90% to 97% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.7
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
29.7
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Buckstones Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Buckstones Primary School.
- Squirrels @ BuckstonesAt the school · Not yet graded
- Sparkles at St Georges290m away · Not yet graded
- Buckies Out Of School Club420m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Buckstones Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Buckstones Primary School is in Oldham; for families living there:
Apply to Oldham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Oldham is 14 (the median across 129 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Buckstones Primary School
Will you get a place at Buckstones Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Buckstones Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Buckstones Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Buckstones Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Oldham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Buckstones Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Oldham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
209 pupils
210 places
1 spare place in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Oldham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Oldham
Across Oldham council
Places available
3,927
Applications
2,814
Got 1st preference
92.0%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Oldham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
16.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
207
Total Pupils
100
Boys
107
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
23.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,928
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,096
Per pupil
£1163k
Total funding
£26k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.5%
Overall absence
5.0%
Persistent absence
180
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Buckstones Primary School
Questions parents ask about Buckstones Primary School
What are SATs results like at Buckstones Primary School?
Of the pupils at Buckstones Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 97% did so in maths.
What is Buckstones Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Buckstones Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Buckstones Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Buckstones Primary School is oversubscribed, Oldham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Buckstones Primary School?
Buckstones Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Buckstones Primary School?
Classes at Buckstones Primary School average 29.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Buckstones Primary School?
Buckstones Primary School has around 207 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Buckstones Primary School?
3.5% of sessions were missed at Buckstones Primary School in 2024/25. 5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Buckstones Primary School?
Apply through Oldham's coordinated admissions process, naming Buckstones Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Buckstones Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Squirrels @ Buckstones (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Buckstones Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Oldham is 14 (the median across 129 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Buckstones Primary School?
Buckstones Primary School is at Delamere Avenue, Shaw, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL2 8HN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)