Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School, Bury
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bury. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 37 schools in Bury with published results, and 2,629th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bury (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School in detail
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am extremely proud to be the Executive Headteacher at Emmanuel Holcombe CE Primary School and St Mary's CE Primary School in Hawkshaw. I am supported by a highly skilled, caring and dedicated team of senior leaders, teachers and support staff. St Mary's in Hawkshaw is our sister school."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, cross-country, dance, choir, chess and STEM.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 77% in Bury and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 93% in reading and 100% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 19 families put Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 47 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School are St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Ramsbottom, a Voluntary Academy (0.3 miles, 90% reading, 87% maths); St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Ramsbottom (0.4 miles, Good, 70% reading, 57% maths); Hazlehurst Primary Academy (0.6 miles, 93% reading, 90% maths); and Peel Brow School (0.9 miles, Requires improvement, 86% reading, 79% maths).
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Ramsbottom, a Voluntary AcademySt Andrew's Church of England Primary School, RamsbottomHazlehurst Primary AcademyPeel Brow School
Who goes there
1.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 11 pupils (9.6%) received SEN support and 8 (7%) 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.
Staffing
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Ramsbottom (East Lancashire Railway), about 980 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
Suspensions and exclusions
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England 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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
1.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 93% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 100% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 100% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.0
Avg class size
30.5
KS2
3
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Bury
Term dates
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Bury's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School is in Bury; for families living there:
Apply to Bury for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Bury is 10 (the median across 92 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 Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School.
- Bury publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bury 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
93%
Near capacity
103 pupils
111 places
8 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bury
Across Bury council
Places available
2,275
Applications
1,901
Got 1st preference
91.4%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All primary applications across Bury council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(12)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
11
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
16.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
115
Total Pupils
63
Boys
52
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,401
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,717
Per pupil
£623k
Total funding
£8k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
4.4%
Persistent absence
91
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
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024.
What is the catchment area for Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Bury allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School?
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 111 places.
How big are the classes at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School average 30 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School?
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School has around 115 pupils on roll. 2% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School?
3.3% of sessions were missed at Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 4.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Bury's coordinated admissions process, naming Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England 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 Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Bury is 10 (the median across 92 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School?
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School is at Helmshore Road, Holcombe, Bury, Lancashire, BL8 4PA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)