Rainow Primary School, Macclesfield
Rainow Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Macclesfield. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 27 schools in Macclesfield with published results, and 1,036th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cheshire East (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Rainow Primary School in detail
Rainow Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "The curriculum teaches our children the importance of being local, national and global citizens, embracing British Values."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care until 5:50pm.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 96% of Year 6 pupils at Rainow Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 80% and 78% in Cheshire East and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (92% in reading, 96% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Rainow Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Rainow Primary School as their first choice and 34 named it as one of their preferences, for 20 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 Rainow Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Rainow Primary School are Bollington St John's CofE Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 62% reading, 62% maths); Hurdsfield Community Primary School and Nursery (1.6 miles); Dean Valley Community Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 83% reading, 87% maths); and Bollington Cross CofE Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 94% reading, 87% maths).
Rainow Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Bollington St John's CofE Primary SchoolHurdsfield Community Primary School and NurseryDean Valley Community Primary SchoolBollington Cross CofE Primary School
What parents say
85 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Rainow Primary School (as of September 2025): 99% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 63% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (63%).
Who goes there
4.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 9 pupils (4.6%) received SEN support and 7 (3.6%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Macclesfield Rail Station, about 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Trinity Church (opposite), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cheshire East (61).
Suspensions and exclusions
Rainow Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 December 2015, 10 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 December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Rainow Primary School creates a caring, supportive environment where children feel safe and celebrated for their individuality. With exceptionally high expectations and skilled teaching, all pupils - including those with SEND - achieve remarkably well and develop deep, interconnected knowledge. The school makes outstanding use of its beautiful grounds and offers a wealth of enrichment experiences like residential trips and community leadership roles that broaden horizons and develop important life skills.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional curriculum design with carefully considered knowledge progression that flows seamlessly from early years through Year 6
- Highly skilled staff who quickly identify pupils' misconceptions and provide effective support, particularly for those struggling with reading or with SEND
- Extensive enrichment activities including woodland learning, residential trips to Whitby, Wales and Yorkshire Dales, and visits to local venues
- Outstanding pupil behaviour and attitudes underpinned by the school's six learning values
- Strong focus on personal development with pupils taking leadership roles and learning about healthy relationships, religions and cultures
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with the school maintaining an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Woodland learning and orienteering, stream-based geography and science activities, trips to transport museum and theatre, yearly residential trips to Whitby/Wales/Yorkshire Dales, breakfast club, after-school club, school council, planet protectors, sports leaders
Rainow Primary School is a picturesque village school where pupils thoroughly enjoy attending and achieve exceptionally well. The school has extremely high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND, and provides a broad, balanced curriculum enhanced with enrichment activities.
At a Glance
4.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
85 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 improved from 92% to 96% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 96% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 72% to 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.5
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
28.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Rainow Primary School
Term dates
Rainow Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Cheshire East. 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: Wednesday 1 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 Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Rainow Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Rainow Primary School is in Cheshire East; for families living there:
- Cheshire East's school travel policy: Compulsory school age travel policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Cheshire East is 6 (the median across 180 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 Rainow Primary School
Will you get a place at Rainow Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Rainow Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Rainow Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Rainow Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cheshire East, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Rainow Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cheshire East 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
191 pupils
195 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Macclesfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Macclesfield
Across Cheshire East council
Places available
4,535
Applications
3,733
Got 1st preference
92.3%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Cheshire East council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
9
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
8.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
194
Total Pupils
96
Boys
98
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
19.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,061
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,105
Per pupil
£1045k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
3.7%
Persistent absence
163
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Rainow Primary School
What are SATs results like at Rainow Primary School?
Of the pupils at Rainow Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 96% reached the expected standard in reading and 88% did so in maths.
What is Rainow Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Rainow Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Rainow Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Rainow Primary School is oversubscribed, Cheshire East allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Rainow Primary School?
Rainow Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Rainow Primary School?
Classes at Rainow Primary School average 28.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Rainow Primary School?
Rainow Primary School has around 194 pupils on roll. 5% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Rainow Primary School?
3.3% of sessions were missed at Rainow Primary School in 2024/25. 3.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Rainow Primary School?
Apply through Cheshire East's coordinated admissions process, naming Rainow 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 Rainow Primary School's term dates?
Rainow Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Cheshire East. 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: Wednesday 1 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 Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Rainow Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Cheshire East is 6 (the median across 180 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Rainow Primary School?
Rainow Primary School is at Round Meadow, Rainow, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 5UB.
Sources: Cheshire East term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)