Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School, Littleborough
Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Littleborough. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 30th-highest of the 55 schools in Rochdale with published results, and 8,950th of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Rochdale (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School in detail
Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Thank-you for your interest in Smithy Bridge Primary School. We are a welcoming school family and take great pride in our school values of: Excellence, Courage, Kindness, Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. These are promoted daily in everything that we do and are lived out by staff, governors and pupils alike."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include choir, eco club and forest school.
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils at Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Rochdale and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 81% in reading and 74% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 47 families put Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School as their first choice and 129 named it as one of their preferences, for 48 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 Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School are St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Nursery (0.5 miles, Good, 81% reading, 84% maths); St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.9 miles); Alice Ingham Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (1 mile, Good, 65% reading, 65% maths); and Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 87% reading, 77% maths).
Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and NurserySt Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAlice Ingham Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyHoly Trinity Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (86%) and Asian (8%).
In 2026, 47 pupils (11.7%) received SEN support and 11 (2.7%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Smithy Bridge Rail Station, about 140 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Smithy Bridge Station (opposite), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School are Wardle Academy (0.9 miles) and Hollingworth Academy (1.7 miles).
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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school strives to achieve the mission statement to encourage all pupils to be confident, aim high and be happy in all aspects of school life. This is clear in the high ambitions that the school has for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils make the most of the learning opportunities that the school provides for them. Many pupils leave the school well prepared for their next stage of education.
The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour, which are reflected in the new behaviour policy. Many pupils are kind, considerate and take pride in being part of the school community. Pupils who need extra help to manage their emotions are supported well by staff. Pupils feel happy and safe in school. They highlight their trust in staff as an important reason for this.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The majority of the school's curriculum has been carefully organised from the Nursery Year through to the end of key stage 2. Across most subjects, the school has identified the key knowledge that pupils should learn and when this should be taught. However, in a small number of subjects, the curriculum does not set out all of the important knowledge that pupils should learn. This prevents teachers from designing learning that builds up pupils' knowledge over time.
The school provides teachers with appropriate training. This helps them to develop their subject knowledge. It also helps teachers to identify and support effectively the additional needs of pupils with SEND. The school has strategies in place to enable teachers to check on what pupils have learned and remembered from previous lessons. When needed, teachers provide opportunities for pupils to revisit prior concepts before moving on to new learning. Overall, many pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.
From Ofsted's October 2023 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
8.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 74% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 72% to 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.5
Avg class size
25.7
Infant (KS1)
25.8
KS2
12
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School, with their latest published grades:
- Tinkerbell Private Nursery - Day nursery, 0.6 milesOfsted, 20 April 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- The Ark Nursery Littleborough And Space Out-Of-School Club - Day nursery, 0.7 milesOfsted, 21 March 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- The Railway House - Day nursery, 0.9 milesOfsted, 21 June 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- The Old Library - Day nursery, 1.1 milesOfsted, 15 August 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- The Apple Tree Private Day Nursery - Day nursery, 1.1 milesOfsted, 9 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Term dates
Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School is a foundation school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Rochdale's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Smithy Bridge Foundation 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 1
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, 6 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
3 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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School
Will you get a place at Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School?
For 2026 entry it had 47 first choices for 48 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
92%
Near capacity
386 pupils
420 places
34 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Pennines North Primary planning area (Rochdale) will have 345 spare primary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
47
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
14.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
402
Total Pupils
202
Boys
200
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
21.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,271
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,972
Per pupil
£2071k
Total funding
£53k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
9.2%
Persistent absence
348
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
Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School
Questions parents ask about Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School
What are SATs results like at Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School?
Of the pupils at Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 69% did so in maths.
What is Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2009 it was rated Outstanding.
Is it hard to get a place at Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School?
Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School?
Classes at Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School average 26.5 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils.
How many pupils go to Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School?
Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School has around 402 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School in 2024/25. 9.2% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Smithy Bridge Foundation 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, 6 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 3 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 Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School?
Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School is at Bridgenorth Drive, Littleborough, OL15 0ES.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)