Heald Place Primary School, Manchester
Heald Place Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Manchester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 194th-highest of the 258 schools in Manchester with published results, and 11,035th of 14,452 across England. It was 87% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Manchester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Heald Place Primary School in detail
Heald Place Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Heald Place is a very successful primary school situated roughly 2 miles from the centre of Manchester. It serves a rich and diverse community. At its heart are vibrant local businesses with the universities, Manchester Museum, and the Whitworth Art Gallery all within walking distance of the school."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance, drama, choir and gardening.
The school runs a breakfast club.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at Heald Place Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 68% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 74% in Manchester and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 58% in reading and 60% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Heald Place Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 35 families put Heald Place Primary School as their first choice and 82 named it as one of their preferences, for 36 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Heald Place Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Heald Place Primary School are The Divine Mercy Roman Catholic Primary School (0.1 miles, Requires improvement, 65% reading, 65% maths); Claremont Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 51% reading, 60% maths); Wilbraham Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 70% reading, 72% maths); and St James' CofE Primary School, Birch-in-Rusholme (0.6 miles, Good, 89% reading, 81% maths).
Heald Place Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
The Divine Mercy Roman Catholic Primary SchoolClaremont Primary SchoolWilbraham Primary SchoolSt James' CofE Primary School, Birch-in-Rusholme
Who goes there
41.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 84.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (53%), other ethnic groups (28%) and Black (14%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ardwick Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Carlton Avenue (opposite), 170 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Heald Place Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Heald Place Primary School are Manchester Academy (0.5 miles), William Hulme's Grammar School (0.9 miles), Whalley Range 11-18 High School (1 mile) and Trinity CofE High School (1 mile).
Manchester AcademyWilliam Hulme's Grammar SchoolWhalley Range 11-18 High SchoolTrinity CofE High School
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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2019, 7 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 Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Heald Place is a warm, welcoming school where children feel valued and supported. Staff build caring relationships with pupils, and behaviour is generally good because the school has clear systems in place. The school offers plenty of enrichment activities including trips to museums, art galleries, and visits from authors, helping children develop their interests and understanding of the wider world.
Key Strengths
- Warm, caring relationships between staff and pupils with high-quality pastoral support
- Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school, creating a calm atmosphere
- Good opportunities for pupils to develop leadership skills through school council and ambassador roles
- Many extra-curricular opportunities including visits to museums and art galleries
- Effective safeguarding arrangements with partnerships across multiple agencies
Areas for Improvement
- Reading skills are not developing promptly for some pupils, especially those with SEND, due to inconsistent phonics delivery
- Teachers are not checking pupils' understanding of topics regularly enough, leaving knowledge gaps unaddressed
- Support for pupils with SEND varies in quality and is sometimes unclear, making it hard for them to access the curriculum
- Staff lack subject-specific expertise in some areas, particularly phonics and other curriculum subjects
- The school does not track patterns of inappropriate language use well enough to address the issue effectively
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, though a small number of staff require additional training to fully support the designated safeguarding leader.
Extracurricular Activities
yoga, school council, anti-bullying ambassador roles, rights-respecting ambassador roles, visits to museums and art galleries, before-school club
Heald Place Primary School is a large, inclusive school where pupils enjoy attending and feel valued. However, the quality of education requires improvement, with gaps in how the ambitious curriculum is delivered consistently across the school.
At a Glance
41.8%
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 improved from 58% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 60% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 56% to 64% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.2
Avg class size
26.8
Infant (KS1)
29.6
KS2
21
Total classes
5 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Heald Place Primary School
Before and after school care
Heald Place 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 Manchester
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Heald Place Primary School.
- Progressive Sports450m away · Not yet graded
- The Den Holiday Club Ltd700m away · Not yet graded
- Future Shapers Preschool & Wraparound Care920m away · Ofsted: Good
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Heald Place Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Heald Place Primary School is in Manchester; for families living there:
Apply to Manchester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 70
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 22
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 70 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 22 serious and 47 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
18 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 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 Heald Place Primary School
Will you get a place at Heald Place Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Heald Place Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Heald Place Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Heald Place Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Manchester, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Heald Place Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Manchester 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
87%
Available places
545 pupils
630 places
85 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Manchester
Across Manchester council
Places available
7,530
Applications
5,736
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Manchester council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
85
SEN Support
23
EHC Plans
18.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
572
Total Pupils
286
Boys
286
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
22.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,677
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,331
Per pupil
£4003k
Total funding
£418k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
13.4%
Persistent absence
528
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
Heald Place Primary School
Questions parents ask about Heald Place Primary School
What are SATs results like at Heald Place Primary School?
Of the pupils at Heald Place Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 68% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is Heald Place Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Heald Place Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Heald Place Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Heald Place Primary School is oversubscribed, Manchester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Heald Place Primary School?
Heald Place Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at Heald Place Primary School?
Classes at Heald Place Primary School average 27.2 pupils (2025/26). 5 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Heald Place Primary School?
Heald Place Primary School has around 572 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Heald Place Primary School?
4.5% of sessions were missed at Heald Place Primary School in 2024/25. 13.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Heald Place Primary School?
Apply through Manchester's coordinated admissions process, naming Heald Place 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 Heald Place Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Heald Place 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. Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Heald Place Primary School: Progressive Sports (450m away, registered, not yet graded), The Den Holiday Club Ltd (700m away, registered, not yet graded) and Future Shapers Preschool & Wraparound Care (920m away, rated Good by Ofsted).
How many road collisions happen near Heald Place Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 70 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 22 serious and 47 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 18 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Heald Place Primary School?
Heald Place Primary School is at Heald Place, Rusholme, Manchester, M14 7PN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)