Navigation Primary School, Altrincham
Navigation Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Altrincham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 10th-highest of the 17 schools in Altrincham with published results, and 2,629th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Trafford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Navigation Primary School in detail
Navigation Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "We are delighted you are considering joining Navigation Primary School. It is a big step in a child's life and we believe the best way to decide if our school is the right one for your child is to come and see us in action."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 9.30am and an open day on Thursday 3 December 2026 at 9.30am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Trafford
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at Navigation Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 90% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 84% and 82% in Trafford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (84% in reading, 92% in maths).
Getting a place at Navigation Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 36 families put Navigation Primary School as their first choice and 132 named it as one of their preferences, for 41 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 Navigation Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Navigation Primary School are Altrincham CofE (Aided) Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 79% reading, 77% maths); St Vincent's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 91% reading, 93% maths); St Hugh's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 91% reading, 86% maths); and Willows Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 88% reading, 87% maths).
Navigation Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Altrincham CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolSt Vincent's Catholic Primary SchoolSt Hugh's Catholic Primary SchoolWillows Primary School
What parents say
95 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Navigation Primary School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 77% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (77%).
Who goes there
8.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 28.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (65%), Asian (13%) and Chinese (8%).
In 2026, 68 pupils (15.3%) received SEN support and 10 (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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Navigation Primary School had 26 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Navigation Road (Manchester Metrolink), about 320 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Police Station (opposite), 230 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Navigation Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Navigation Primary School are Wellington School (0.6 miles), North Cestrian School (0.6 miles), Loreto Grammar School (0.7 miles) and Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College (0.7 miles).
Wellington SchoolNorth Cestrian SchoolLoreto Grammar SchoolBlessed Thomas Holford Catholic College
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; DfE school workforce census; 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 February 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
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Navigation Primary School excels at creating a happy, safe environment where all children thrive. The school provides outstanding personal development opportunities with enriching visits and strong teaching of healthy relationships and staying safe online. Pupils, including those with additional needs, benefit from a well-designed curriculum and excellent behaviour expectations that they consistently meet.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and conduct across the school with well-mannered, polite pupils
- Strong, well-crafted curriculum with skilled teaching and good subject knowledge
- Reading is a high priority with structured phonics and strong pupil engagement
- Exceptional provision for personal development including visits to theatres and museums
- Pupils with SEND access the same rich curriculum and achieve well
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent focus on letter formation and writing accuracy - some pupils develop errors that are not corrected consistently
- In a couple of subjects, pupils lack sufficient opportunities to recall and connect new learning to prior knowledge
- Early writing curriculum aspects are not implemented as well as they could be
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Theatre visits, museum visits, author visits, pupil librarian roles
Navigation Primary School creates a vibrant and inclusive environment where pupils feel safe, happy and eager to learn. The school has high expectations for academic work and behaviour, which pupils rise to meet.
At a Glance
8.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
95 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 remained stable at around 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 89% to 75% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.5
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
15
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Navigation Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Navigation Primary School.
- Kids Collective @ NavigationAt the school · Not yet graded
- Learn North West Tutors650m away · Not yet graded
- The Outdoors Project - Altrincham680m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Navigation Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Trafford. 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 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)
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 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Wednesday 26 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Navigation Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Navigation Primary School is in Trafford; for families living there:
Apply to Trafford for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 5 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 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 Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 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 Navigation Primary School
Will you get a place at Navigation Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Navigation Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Navigation Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Navigation Primary School.
- Trafford publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Navigation Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Navigation Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Trafford 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
99%
Near capacity
415 pupils
420 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Altrincham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Altrincham
Across Trafford council
Places available
2,990
Applications
2,238
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
99.6%
All primary applications across Trafford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
68
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
17.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
444
Total Pupils
218
Boys
226
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
17.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,510
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,099
Per pupil
£2258k
Total funding
£50k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.5%
Overall absence
4.9%
Persistent absence
364
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
Questions parents ask about Navigation Primary School
What are SATs results like at Navigation Primary School?
Of the pupils at Navigation Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 90% did so in maths.
What is Navigation Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Navigation Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Navigation Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Navigation Primary School is oversubscribed, Trafford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Navigation Primary School?
Navigation Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Navigation Primary School?
Classes at Navigation Primary School average 29.5 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Navigation Primary School?
Navigation Primary School has around 444 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Navigation Primary School?
3.5% of sessions were missed at Navigation Primary School in 2024/25. 4.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Navigation Primary School?
Apply through Trafford's coordinated admissions process, naming Navigation 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 Navigation Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kids Collective @ Navigation (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Navigation Primary School's term dates?
Navigation Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Trafford. 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 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). 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 14 February to Friday 18 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 Navigation Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 5 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 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 Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Navigation Primary School?
Navigation Primary School is at Hawarden Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 1NG.
Sources: Trafford term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)