Mather Street Primary School, Manchester

Ofsted's report card from its 14 April 2026 inspection grades Mather Street Primary School on 7 areas: 2 strong standard, 4 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders have highly effective systems to identify pupils' needs and barriers to learning."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders provide a wealth of meaningful experiences to ensure that pupils broaden their horizons and gain a deep sense of the world around them."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Over time, pupils' attainment by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics has been below the national average."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have improved the design of the curriculum."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have sharpened their focus on children acquiring a broad and adventurous range of vocabulary."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Many pupils do not attend school as often as they should."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should work more effectively with parents and carers to address the persistent absence of some pupils so that they do not miss out on the wealth of opportunities available for their personal development"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers address weaknesses in some pupils' handwriting skills so that these pupils write legibly and accurately across the curriculum"; "Governors should ensure that they have a clearer oversight of the achievement of some vulnerable pupil groups".

In its own words: "Welcome to Mather Street Primary School, a one-form entry school in Failsworth on the Manchester/Oldham border. We are part of the MY Schools Together Federation with Yew Tree Community School, a three-form primary school in Chadderton. It is a hard federation, with one governing body."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball and Lego.

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care, from £10 per session.

Coming up: an open evening on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2025, 48% of Year 6 pupils at Mather Street Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 55% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 74% in Oldham and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 93% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 18 families put Mather Street Primary School as their first choice and 31 named it as one of their preferences, for 18 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Mather Street Primary School are Propps Hall Junior Infant and Nursery School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 90% maths); Co-op Academy Broadhurst (0.5 miles, Good, 79% reading, 86% maths); St Mary's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.5 miles); and St Mary's CofE Primary School Moston (0.7 miles, Good, 66% reading, 69% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Mather Street Primary School.

52.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 27.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (53%), Black (17%) and Asian (14%).

In 2026, 47 pupils (23%) received SEN support and 8 (3.9%) 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.

Mather Street Primary School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 28 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Failsworth (Manchester Metrolink), about 320 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Park Avenue (opposite), 160 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Mather Street Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Mather Street Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Mather Street Primary School are St Matthew's RC High School (0.7 miles) and Co-op Academy Failsworth (0.9 miles).