Holcombe Brook Primary School, Bury

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 511

Data last updated 16 Mar 2026

Location

Very likely (~390m)Possible (~557m)Unlikely (~724m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr David Westerby
Pupils:263 / 280 capacity
LA:Bury
Phone:01204882304
Address:Longsight Road, Holcombe Brook, Bury, BL0 9TA
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 years ago
-

Overall

Inspected 10 December 2024View full report
URN:105311
UKPRN:10078437
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Bury North
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Holcombe Brook Primary creates a happy, calm atmosphere where pupils behave well and feel safe. Teachers build strong positive relationships with pupils and reading is taught effectively. The school has strong parental support and above-average attendance.

Key Strengths

  • Behaviour is good - pupils are well-mannered, respectful and feel safe at school
  • Attendance is above average and pupils enjoy coming to school
  • Reading progress is strong with effective phonics teaching and parental support
  • Positive relationships between pupils and adults create a good climate for learning
  • Special educational needs pupils are well supported by teaching assistants

Areas for Improvement

  • Too few of the most able pupils reach the highest levels - they are not challenged enough
  • Mathematics progress lags behind reading and writing, especially for girls
  • Teacher marking does not clearly explain how pupils can improve their work
  • Assessment is not accurate enough to match tasks to pupils' abilities
  • Curriculum does not meet the needs of all learners, particularly in mathematics

Safeguarding

The work of the school to keep pupils safe is good, with well-trained staff identifying potential risks and pupils aware of how to keep themselves safe including e-safety.

Holcombe Brook Primary School requires improvement overall. While pupils behave well and attendance is above average, achievement is inconsistent and teaching quality needs to be stronger, particularly in mathematics and for the most able pupils.

At a Glance

14.1%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

64 responses
Would recommend97%
Child is happy98%
Well taught98%
Good progress92%
Feels safe100%
Well behaved97%
Bullying dealt with23%
Kept informed97%
Handles concerns69%
Wider development94%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-20ppMaths-10ppWriting-10pp

Reading has declined from 92% to 72%. Maths has declined from 95% to 85%. Writing has declined from 77% to 67%.

Class Sizes

30.3

Avg class size

27.0

Infant (KS1)

31.6

KS2

7

Total classes

4 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Latest from Holcombe Brook Primary School

From Holcombe Brook Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.

Social & online

Getting There

Bus Stops

Newcombe Road (nr)
83m · 1 min walk
Westgate Avenue (nr)
143m · 2 min walk
Longsight Road (nr)
160m · 3 min walk
Trinity Green (nr)
296m · 5 min walk
Kendal Road (opp)
336m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

94%

Near capacity

263 pupils

280 capacity

17 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Bury

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,816
Projected new pupils:454

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bury

Admissions Demand - Bury

Low demand0.82x oversubscription

Places available

2,316

Applications

1,908

Got 1st preference

95.0%

Got preferred school

99.0%

Primary admissions across Bury (2025/26)

Inspection History(9)

10 December 2024
11 March 2020
28 June 2016
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

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.67098%

Overall absence

4.52675%

Persistent absence

243

Enrolments

Authorised2.8957%
Unauthorised0.77527%
Persistent (10%+)4.52675%
Severe (50%+)0.41152%

Absence trend

3.4364%
18/19
2.71274%
20/21
4.84433%
21/22
4.34969%
22/23
4.20452%
23/24
3.67098%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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