Light Oaks Junior School, Salford
Light Oaks Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Salford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 29 schools in Salford with published results, and 6,591st of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Capacity
- 98% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Light Oaks Junior School in detail
Light Oaks Junior School in its own words
In its own words: "Our mission is to develop confident, happy children who are passionate about learning and are ready for the next step on their journey through life; we recognise how special each child is and see the potential which they all have to make a difference to our world."
From the headteacher's welcome: "At Light Oaks Junior School, we are proud to promote the values of Respect, Resilience, and Responsibility in everything we do. We are an inclusive and nurturing community where every child is supported to thrive. Wellbeing and mental health are central to our ethos."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Light Oaks Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 82% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 73% in Salford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 79% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Light Oaks Junior School
Across Salford, 91% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Salford lodged 87 appeals against primary school offers; 53 reached a hearing and 4 succeeded (7.5% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Light Oaks Junior School are Light Oaks Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); St Luke's RC Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 75% reading, 76% maths); St John's CofE Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 77% reading, 77% maths); and St Luke's CofE Primary School (0.6 miles).
Light Oaks Junior School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Light Oaks Infant SchoolSt Luke's RC Primary SchoolSt John's CofE Primary SchoolSt Luke's CofE Primary School
What parents say
61 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Light Oaks Junior School (as of September 2025): 80% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 99 pupils (27.9%) received SEN support and 8 (2.3%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Ladywell (Manchester Metrolink), about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Light Oaks School (outside), 40 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Light Oaks Junior School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Light Oaks Junior School are All Hallows RC High School (0.4 miles), Ellesmere Park High School (0.6 miles) and Buile Hill Academy (0.7 miles).
All Hallows RC High SchoolEllesmere Park High SchoolBuile Hill Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2011, 15 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
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Light Oaks creates a calm, loving environment where children feel safe and confident. The school does excellent work supporting pupils with additional needs, making sure every child is fully included and can access their learning. Your child will develop a real love of reading and learn important life skills about staying healthy and keeping safe.
Key Strengths
- Pupils are happy, well-behaved and feel emotionally secure with strong relationships between staff and students
- The school has prioritised reading and offers a wide range of text types to develop a love of reading
- Strong support for pupils with SEND, ensuring they are fully included and achieve well
- Well-organised curriculum that is carefully considered for pupils' learning
- Strong focus on personal development including health, relationships and British values
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils who find reading difficult do not receive effective enough support and do not catch up quickly enough
- Teachers do not consistently identify and correct errors in spelling and letter formation, limiting writing fluency
- Poor attendance (particularly among disadvantaged pupils) has created learning gaps that are not being tackled quickly enough
- Gaps in learning caused by absence are not being remedied swiftly
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with appropriate measures in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Well-being warriors, school librarians, school councillors, sports crew, extra-curricular clubs
Light Oaks Junior School is a happy and well-cared-for environment where pupils feel safe and demonstrate high levels of respect. The school has prioritised reading and developed a well-organised curriculum, though some pupils need better support to catch up with learning gaps.
At a Glance
22.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
61 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 79% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 87% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 70% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
29.6
KS2
11
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Light Oaks Junior School
Wednesday 16th September - Whole School Individual photgraphs
14 Sep 2026
Year 6 - Leavers Assembly 2pm-3.15pm (Parents are welcome)
14 Jul 2026
Year 6 - Leavers Disco at school (6pm-7.30pm)
14 Jul 2026
Wednesday 22nd July -Last day of term and non uniform day
14 Jul 2026
3Z- Class assembly Tuesday 7th July
30 Jun 2026
5Z - Class Assembly Wednesday 8th July
30 Jun 2026
From Light Oaks Junior School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Light Oaks Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Light Oaks Junior School.
- Little Acorns Before & After School ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Light Oaks Junior School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Salford. 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 Friday 2 April 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 19 April to Thursday 22 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 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Wednesday 26 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Light Oaks Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Light Oaks Junior School is in Salford; for families living there:
- Salford's school travel policy: Salford home to school transport policy 2026 (Adobe PDF format, 156kb)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 6 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Salford is 19.5 (the median across 136 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
353 pupils
360 places
7 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Salford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Salford
Across Salford council
Places available
3,266
Applications
2,753
Got 1st preference
91.1%
Got preferred school
97.8%
All primary applications across Salford council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
99
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
30.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
355
Total Pupils
180
Boys
175
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
18.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,917
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,306
Per pupil
£2075k
Total funding
£118k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.2%
Overall absence
15.7%
Persistent absence
363
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
Light Oaks Junior School
Questions parents ask about Light Oaks Junior School
What are SATs results like at Light Oaks Junior School?
Of the pupils at Light Oaks Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is Light Oaks Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Light Oaks Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Light Oaks Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Light Oaks Junior School is oversubscribed, Salford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Light Oaks Junior School?
Light Oaks Junior School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Light Oaks Junior School?
Classes at Light Oaks Junior School average 29.6 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 Light Oaks Junior School?
Light Oaks Junior School has around 355 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Light Oaks Junior School?
6.2% of sessions were missed at Light Oaks Junior School in 2024/25. 15.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Light Oaks Junior School?
Apply through Salford's coordinated admissions process, naming Light Oaks Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Light Oaks Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Little Acorns Before & After School Club (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Light Oaks Junior School's term dates?
Light Oaks Junior School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Salford. 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 Friday 2 April 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 19 April to Thursday 22 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 21 February to Friday 25 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 Light Oaks Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 6 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Salford is 19.5 (the median across 136 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Light Oaks Junior School?
Light Oaks Junior School is at Lancaster Road, Salford, Greater Manchester, M6 8LU.
Sources: Salford term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)