Higher Openshaw Community School, Manchester

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~364m)Possible (~520m)Unlikely (~676m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr John Dent
Pupils:326 / 345 capacity
LA:Manchester
Phone:01612233549
Address:Saunton Road, Higher Openshaw, Manchester, M11 1AJ
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 3 years ago
-

Overall

Inspected 21 June 2023View full report
URN:105471
UKPRN:10070081
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Manchester Central
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Higher Openshaw Community School excels at helping all children make good progress, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers have high expectations and create a warm, welcoming environment where pupils from diverse backgrounds get on very well together. The school has successfully supported disadvantaged pupils to achieve as well as their peers.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics
  • Well-planned lessons with interesting activities help all groups of pupils progress, including those with special educational needs
  • Strong relationships between pupils and staff create a positive learning environment
  • Pupils' behaviour is good and they are eager to learn
  • The school has successfully closed attainment gaps for disadvantaged pupils

Areas for Improvement

  • Not enough lessons are outstanding in quality
  • Some lessons have work that is too hard for some pupils or too easy for others
  • Pupils do not always have enough time to find things out and learn independently
  • Pupils do not regularly check their work against their learning targets in reading, writing and mathematics

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective - pupils feel very safe in school and parents agree it is a safe place because of the care the school takes to ensure safety.

Extracurricular Activities

Physical education and sport at break times, after school coaching sessions, primary school sport funding activities

Higher Openshaw Community School is a good school where pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, with well-planned lessons and strong relationships between pupils and staff. The school has improved since its previous inspection, though there is not yet outstanding teaching.

At a Glance

63.2%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

SLCN - Speech, language and Communication, ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+8ppMaths+18ppWriting+2pp

Reading has improved from 70% to 78%. Maths has improved from 58% to 76%. Writing has remained stable at around 69%.

Class Sizes

28.3

Avg class size

25.4

Infant (KS1)

30.3

KS2

12

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Latest from Higher Openshaw Community School

From Higher Openshaw Community School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.

Social & online

Getting There

Tube / Metro / Tram

Edge Lane (Manchester Metrolink) (West Entrance)
479m · 8 min walk

Bus Stops

Wheler Street (nr)
344m · 6 min walk
Edge Lane Metrolink Stop (Stop E)
429m · 7 min walk
Dargai Street (Stop B)
446m · 7 min walk
Aldi (o/s)
466m · 8 min walk
Lees Street (opp)
486m · 8 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

94%

Near capacity

326 pupils

345 capacity

19 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Manchester

Low pressure
New homes approved:18,398
Projected new pupils:4,600

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Manchester

Admissions Demand - Manchester

Low demand0.77x oversubscription

Places available

7,395

Applications

5,691

Got 1st preference

97.3%

Got preferred school

99.5%

Primary admissions across Manchester (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

21 June 2023
9 May 2018
Leadership & ManagementGood
22 October 2013
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.03896%

Overall absence

8.18505%

Persistent absence

281

Enrolments

Authorised2.7734%
Unauthorised1.26556%
Persistent (10%+)8.18505%
Severe (50%+)0.35587%

Absence trend

3.20327%
18/19
5.17914%
20/21
6.49999%
21/22
5.00898%
22/23
3.9125%
23/24
4.03896%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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