Highfield Primary School, Manchester
Highfield 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 December 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 154th-highest of the 258 schools in Manchester with published results, and 9,159th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Trafford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Highfield Primary School in detail
Highfield Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "On behalf of the staff and governors, I am delighted to welcome you to our school. Highfield is a happy school, where children learn in a caring environment and all are valued. We strive to make a positive difference to every child's life."
Coming up: an admissions event on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 4.30pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Trafford
Vision and values (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at Highfield Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 84% and 82% in Trafford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 83% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Highfield Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 32 families put Highfield Primary School as their first choice and 81 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Highfield Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Highfield Primary School are St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 96% reading, 93% maths); Davyhulme Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 96% reading, 97% maths); Kingsway Primary School (0.7 miles); and Moss Park Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 81% reading, 81% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Highfield Primary School.
St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary SchoolDavyhulme Primary SchoolKingsway Primary SchoolMoss Park Primary School
Who goes there
11.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (68%), Mixed (15%) and Asian (6%).
In 2026, 31 pupils (10.8%) received SEN support and 4 (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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Highfield Primary School had 19 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Humphrey Park Rail Station, about 820 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Antony's Roman Catholic School (s-bound), 140 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Highfield Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Highfield Primary School are St Antony's Roman Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy (0.1 miles); Lostock High School (0.6 miles); Urmston Grammar Academy (0.9 miles); and Flixton Girls School (1.3 miles).
St Antony's Roman Catholic School, a Voluntary AcademyLostock High SchoolUrmston Grammar AcademyFlixton Girls 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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from December 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Highfield is a caring school where children thrive academically and feel safe. Teachers are well-trained and know your child well, providing quick support when needed. The school has particularly strong reading teaching and excellent support for children with additional needs, ensuring all pupils can access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.
Key Strengths
- Strong teaching of reading from Reception onwards with well-matched books and quick extra help for struggling readers
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND through trained staff and effective work with external agencies
- Well-designed curriculum that builds knowledge and skills over time with teachers checking understanding regularly
- Warm and caring relationships between staff and pupils, with swift action against bullying
- Rich personal development programme teaching pupils about diversity, different families, world religions and moral issues
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, teachers do not provide enough chances for pupils to revisit and consolidate earlier learning before moving to more complex tasks
- Occasional disruption to lessons caused by behaviour of a small number of pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff receiving regular training to recognise signs of harm, clear reporting procedures, and comprehensive record-keeping.
Extracurricular Activities
book club, yoga, football, eco-warriors responsibilities, peer buddy roles at lunchtime
Highfield Primary School continues to be a good school where pupils are encouraged to be considerate and kind, and are proud of their learning environment. The school has strong teaching, effective safeguarding, and high expectations for all pupils including those with special educational needs.
At a Glance
19.1%
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 83% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 85% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.7
Avg class size
24.5
Infant (KS1)
27.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Highfield Primary School
Term dates
Highfield Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Trafford. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Wednesday 26 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Highfield Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Highfield Primary School is in Trafford; for families living there:
Apply to Trafford for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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 Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 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 Highfield Primary School
Will you get a place at Highfield Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Highfield Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Highfield Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Highfield Primary School.
- Trafford publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Highfield Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Highfield Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Trafford 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
98%
Near capacity
274 pupils
280 places
6 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 Trafford council
Places available
2,990
Applications
2,238
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
99.6%
All primary applications across Trafford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
12.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
288
Total Pupils
142
Boys
146
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
15.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,880
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,106
Per pupil
£1531k
Total funding
£68k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.4%
Overall absence
4.9%
Persistent absence
246
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
Questions parents ask about Highfield Primary School
What are SATs results like at Highfield Primary School?
Of the pupils at Highfield Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is Highfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Highfield Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Highfield Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Highfield Primary School is oversubscribed, Trafford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Highfield Primary School?
Highfield Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Highfield Primary School?
Classes at Highfield Primary School average 25.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Highfield Primary School?
Highfield Primary School has around 288 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Highfield Primary School?
3.4% of sessions were missed at Highfield Primary School in 2024/25. 4.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Highfield Primary School?
Apply through Trafford's coordinated admissions process, naming Highfield 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.
What are Highfield Primary School's term dates?
Highfield Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Trafford. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Wednesday 26 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Highfield Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Highfield Primary School?
Highfield Primary School is at Bridgenorth Avenue, Urmston, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M41 9PA.
Sources: Trafford term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)