East Ward Community Primary School, Bury

Ofsted's report card from its 20 January 2026 inspection grades East Ward Community Primary School on 7 areas: 4 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders are well informed."

Early years - Strong standard. "Staff across early years engage children in high-quality interactions that support their learning strongly."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders are determined that all pupils can be ‘happy, challenged, successful and proud'."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders place pupils' best interests at the centre of everything they do."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Most pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have put clear systems in place to improve attendance."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders at all levels are staunchly committed to the pupils, their families and the wider community."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should continue to implement and evaluate their attendance strategy to secure consistently high attendance for pupils, including those who are disadvantaged".

In its own words: "East Ward Community Primary School is an inclusive school which provides high quality teaching and learning in a safe, secure and stimulating environment. We pride ourselves on being a nurturing school. Our children benefit from an ethos and atmosphere that builds upon their skills and talents and values every member of our school."

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is a real privilege to introduce myself as the Headteacher and to welcome you to our school community. East Ward is a happy, vibrant and inclusive school at the heart of our community, where children are encouraged to be curious, confident and proud of who they are."

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at East Ward Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 77% in Bury and 77% and 75% across England.

Results were similar in 2024 (74% in reading, 74% in maths).

For September 2026 entry, 53 families put East Ward Community Primary School as their first choice and 81 named it as one of their preferences, for 57 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to East Ward Community Primary School are St Thomas Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 79% maths); St Paul's Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, 69% reading, 66% maths); St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.6 miles, 80% reading, 75% maths); and Fairfield Community Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 76% reading, 82% maths).

East Ward Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

East Ward Community Primary School is one of 5 schools run by Vision Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

49 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about East Ward Community Primary School (as of April 2026): 96% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 73% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (73%).

52.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 38.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (43%), Asian (23%) and Black (17%).

In 2026, 53 pupils (11.2%) received SEN support and 51 (10.8%) 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.

East Ward Community Primary School has a resourced provision (20 places, 20 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit for autism.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Bury Interchange (Manchester Metrolink), about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Maxwell Street (adjacent), 80 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood East Ward Community Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, East Ward Community Primary School issued 10 suspensions, 2.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to East Ward Community Primary School are Hazel Wood High School (0.1 miles); Bury Church of England High School (1.3 miles); and St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy (1.3 miles).