Lower Kersal Community Primary School, Salford
Lower Kersal Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Salford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 19th-highest of the 29 schools in Salford with published results, and 11,866th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Salford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lower Kersal Community Primary School in detail
Lower Kersal Community Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Lower Kersal Primary School was opened in 1929 and is set in extensive grounds with a large central courtyard area. There are three playgrounds and a large playing field. There are at present 251 children on roll."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Lower Kersal Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 63% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 73% in Salford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (66% in reading, 69% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Lower Kersal Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put Lower Kersal Community Primary School as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 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 Lower Kersal Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lower Kersal Community Primary School are St Sebastian's RC Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 66% reading, 59% maths); St Boniface RC Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 77% maths); St George's CofE Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 48% reading, 38% maths); and St Paul's CofE Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 74% reading, 81% maths).
Lower Kersal Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
St Sebastian's RC Primary SchoolSt Boniface RC Primary SchoolSt George's CofE Primary SchoolSt Paul's CofE Primary School
Who goes there
51% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 38.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (42%), Black (17%) and Mixed (11%).
In 2026, 70 pupils (28.6%) received SEN support and 5 (2%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Lower Kersal Community Primary School had 15 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Salford Crescent Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bradley Avenue (near), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lower Kersal Community Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lower Kersal Community Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 1.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Lower Kersal Community Primary School are The Albion Academy (0.6 miles) and Buile Hill Academy (1.2 miles).
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Salford published that the last place for 2021 entry went to a family 0.383 miles away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from June 2014, 12 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 September 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Lower Kersal is a welcoming school where every child matters and feels safe and happy. The school has high expectations for all pupils and backs this up with excellent teaching in reading and a broad curriculum that includes exciting experiences like university workshops and outdoor learning. Teachers build strong relationships with pupils, celebrate their achievements and encourage them to be proud of themselves.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships and inclusive culture where pupils are accepting of differences and pupils with SEND are well supported
- Well-structured reading curriculum with effective phonics teaching that gives pupils a secure start
- Broad and ambitious curriculum with high expectations that help pupils achieve well
- Excellent wider development provision including debating, chess, mountain biking, and performing arts
- Positive pupil behaviour and purposeful learning environments with minimal disruption
Areas for Improvement
- Some teachers lack subject knowledge in newer curriculum areas, preventing pupils from deepening their knowledge
- Misconceptions identified during lessons are not always tackled quickly enough
- Adaptations for pupils with SEND in some subjects do not adequately support their learning
- Staff expertise in identifying and supporting additional needs is still developing
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a strong culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Mountain biking, performing arts, crime scene investigations, philosophy classes, chess, debating, visiting the river, wetlands and gardens, caring for school chickens
Lower Kersal Community Primary School continues to be a good school where everyone matters. Strong relationships between staff and pupils create a safe, happy environment where children are encouraged to achieve well and broaden their horizons.
At a Glance
51.0%
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 remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 69% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 62% to 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.8
Avg class size
25.3
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Lower Kersal Community Primary School
Term dates
Lower Kersal Community Primary 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 Lower Kersal Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lower Kersal Community Primary 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 3 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
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
Your chances of a place at Lower Kersal Community Primary School
Will you get a place at Lower Kersal Community Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lower Kersal Community Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lower Kersal Community Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lower Kersal Community Primary School.
- Last distance offered for 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021 entry, from Salford's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Lower Kersal Community Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Salford 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
220 pupils
225 places
5 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.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
70
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
30.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
245
Total Pupils
133
Boys
112
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
16.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,462
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,511
Per pupil
£1688k
Total funding
£165k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
18.5%
Persistent absence
200
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
Lower Kersal Community Primary School
Questions parents ask about Lower Kersal Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Lower Kersal Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Lower Kersal Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 63% did so in maths.
What is Lower Kersal Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Lower Kersal Community Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2014, it was rated Good.
How close to Lower Kersal Community Primary School do you need to live?
Salford publishes how far the last offered place was, in miles: 0.249 for 2016 entry, then 0.452 for 2017 entry, then 0.214 for 2018 entry, then 0.383 for 2021 entry. The cut-off has loosened over that period, so places have been reaching further out. These are the authority's own figures, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications each year.
Is it hard to get a place at Lower Kersal Community Primary School?
Lower Kersal Community Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Lower Kersal Community Primary School?
Classes at Lower Kersal Community Primary School average 25.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Lower Kersal Community Primary School?
Lower Kersal Community Primary School has around 245 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lower Kersal Community Primary School?
5.5% of sessions were missed at Lower Kersal Community Primary School in 2024/25. 18.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lower Kersal Community Primary School?
Apply through Salford's coordinated admissions process, naming Lower Kersal Community 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 Lower Kersal Community Primary School's term dates?
Lower Kersal Community Primary 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 Lower Kersal Community Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 3 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 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 Lower Kersal Community Primary School?
Lower Kersal Community Primary School is at St Aidan's Grove, Salford, Greater Manchester, M7 3TN.
Sources: Salford admissions booklets; Salford term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)