Lowerplace Primary School, Rochdale
Lowerplace Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Rochdale. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 32nd-highest of the 32 schools in Rochdale with published results, and 13,642nd of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Rochdale (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lowerplace Primary School in detail
Lowerplace Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Hello! It is full of information that will help you familiarise yourself with many of our structures and routines. I am very proud, and privileged to be Headteacher of Lowerplace Primary School that is at the heart of the community. Our school is full of amazing children and staff and I can't imagine being anywhere else!"
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 49% of Year 6 pupils at Lowerplace Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 60% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Rochdale and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 46% in reading and 56% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Lowerplace Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 51 families put Lowerplace Primary School as their first choice and 145 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 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 Lowerplace Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lowerplace Primary School are St Peter's Church of England Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 63% reading, 72% maths); St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone (0.3 miles); Deeplish Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 75% reading, 86% maths); and Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.6 miles).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Lowerplace Primary School.
St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolSt Mary's Church of England Primary School, BalderstoneDeeplish Primary AcademySacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Who goes there
33.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 47.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (63%), White British (14%) and Mixed (11%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rochdale Rail Station, about 910 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lowerplace Primary School, 40 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lowerplace Primary School issued 4 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 Lowerplace Primary School are Kingsway Park High School (0.2 miles); St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy (1 mile); and Hollingworth Academy (1.7 miles).
Kingsway Park High SchoolSt Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary AcademyHollingworth Academy
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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 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 July 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Lowerplace Primary School is a caring community where your child will feel safe and supported. The school excels at fostering a love of reading through its vibrant library and high-quality teaching, and provides excellent support for all learners including those with additional needs. Staff know pupils and families well, and children develop into confident, well-behaved learners with strong relationships with the adults around them.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with a vibrant library and effective support for pupils learning English as an additional language - pupils develop into fluent, enthusiastic readers
- Well-designed curriculum with important knowledge carefully broken down so pupils build learning from early years through Year 6
- Excellent behaviour management with calm, purposeful pupils who are supported to manage their own feelings
- Effective systems for identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs who access the full curriculum
- Positive relationships and trust between staff and pupils, with pupils feeling confident to share worries
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, the curriculum is not delivered in the most logical order, which prevents pupils from making secure connections between new concepts and what they already know
- Phonics teaching has been improved but pupils' previous learning in this area was hindered by weaknesses in the earlier curriculum and delivery
- High absence levels among some pupils despite the school's efforts to work with families to overcome barriers to attendance
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Library and school council roles, junior interpreter programme, clubs and leadership activities, educational trips and visits, Year 6 residential activity trip, breakfast club
Lowerplace Primary School continues to be a good school where pupils enjoy a happy, safe and kind learning environment with strong relationships between staff and students. The school has developed a broad, balanced curriculum that is accessible to all pupils and delivers high-quality teaching in most subjects.
At a Glance
33.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 49% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 56% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 58% to 53% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.9
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
18
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Lowerplace Primary School
14. newsletter 2025-26 13th July 2026
13 Jul 2026
13. newsletter 2025-26 16th june 2026
16 Jun 2026
12. Newsletter 2025-26 15th May 2026
15 May 2026
11. Newsletter 2025-26 27th April 2026
27 Apr 2026
Newsletter 2025-26 1st April 2026
1 Apr 2026
Newsletter 2025-26 2nd March 2026
2 Mar 2026
From Lowerplace Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Lowerplace Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Lowerplace Primary School.
- Dream Big Sports Wraparound Care - Lowerplace Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Lowerplace Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Rochdale. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Thursday 3 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)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lowerplace Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lowerplace Primary School is in Rochdale; for families living there:
- Rochdale's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy
- How to apply: Apply for school travel expenses
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 36
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 27 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 Rochdale is 10 (the median across 106 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 Lowerplace Primary School
Will you get a place at Lowerplace Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lowerplace Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lowerplace Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lowerplace Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Rochdale, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Lowerplace Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Rochdale 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
94%
Near capacity
564 pupils
600 places
36 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Rochdale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rochdale
Across Rochdale council
Places available
3,242
Applications
2,831
Got 1st preference
89.2%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across Rochdale council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
73
SEN Support
20
EHC Plans
17.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
533
Total Pupils
267
Boys
266
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
29
Teachers
18.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,432
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,926
Per pupil
£3745k
Total funding
£318k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5%
Overall absence
20.7%
Persistent absence
536
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
Lowerplace Primary School
Questions parents ask about Lowerplace Primary School
What are SATs results like at Lowerplace Primary School?
Of the pupils at Lowerplace Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 49% reached the expected standard in reading and 60% did so in maths.
What is Lowerplace Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Lowerplace Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Lowerplace Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Lowerplace Primary School is oversubscribed, Rochdale allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Lowerplace Primary School?
Lowerplace Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 600 places.
How big are the classes at Lowerplace Primary School?
Classes at Lowerplace Primary School average 27.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Lowerplace Primary School?
Lowerplace Primary School has around 533 pupils on roll. 34% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lowerplace Primary School?
6.5% of sessions were missed at Lowerplace Primary School in 2024/25. 20.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lowerplace Primary School?
Apply through Rochdale's coordinated admissions process, naming Lowerplace 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.
Does Lowerplace Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Dream Big Sports Wraparound Care - Lowerplace Primary School (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Lowerplace Primary School's term dates?
Lowerplace Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Rochdale. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Thursday 3 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).
How many road collisions happen near Lowerplace Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 27 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 Rochdale is 10 (the median across 106 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lowerplace Primary School?
Lowerplace Primary School is at Kingsway, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL16 4UU.
Sources: Rochdale term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)