Moorside Primary School, Swinton

Ofsted's report card from its 26 February 2026 inspection grades Moorside Primary School on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed new and refreshed curriculums for phonics, English and other subjects."

Early years - Expected standard. "The recent overhaul of the early years provision means that children learn all that they should."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders' renewed approach to identifying pupils' needs is effective."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, benefit enormously from a carefully tailored personal development programme that prepares them well for life in modern Britain."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, have not achieved well."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Pupils' attendance rates are below the national average."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "This school has undergone a challenging period in its history."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the positive changes to the English curriculum are mirrored fully in the mathematics curriculum so that more pupils gain the knowledge that they need to tackle those aspects of the subject where they are less confident to help them achieve well"; "Leaders should ensure that they build on the recent developments to ensure that all teachers are fully confident in adapting their teaching to meet pupils' different needs within their classrooms"; "Leaders should ensure that they maintain their focus on attendance so that pupils' absence rates continue to reduce over time"; "Members of the new interim executive board (IEB) should build on their insights into the school and use this knowledge to work productively with leaders so that the school's improvement journey is maintained"; "Leaders and members of the IEB should work together to ensure that they rebuild the trust and confidence of parents and carers".

In its own words: "We are a primary school in Swinton, Salford, based in a state-of-the art building on a campus we share with Moorside High School and The Deans Youth Centre. In everything we do, we set high expectations for all pupils under our care and guidance."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, multi-sports, cross-country, choir, eco club and book club.

The school runs after-school care.

Coming up: an open day on Friday 20 November 2026 and an open day on Friday 27 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at Moorside Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 64% 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 (67% in reading, 66% in maths).

For September 2026 entry, 46 families put Moorside Primary School as their first choice and 118 named it as one of their preferences, for 50 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Moorside Primary School are St Charles' RC Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 75% reading, 82% maths); St Peter's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 83% reading, 90% maths); The Deans Primary School (0.5 miles); and Broadoak Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 97% reading, 97% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Moorside Primary School.

70 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Moorside Primary School (as of April 2026): 66% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 25% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (87%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (25%).

In 2026, 59 pupils (9.7%) received SEN support and 18 (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 speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Moorside Rail Station, about 1010 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Moorside High School (outside), 50 metres away.

In 2024/25, Moorside Primary School issued 18 suspensions, 2.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Moorside Primary School are Moorside High School (0.1 miles), Barton Moss Education Centre (0.5 miles), Co-op Academy Swinton (0.8 miles) and St Ambrose Barlow Roman Catholic High School (1 mile).