St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy, Macclesfield
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Macclesfield, part of Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 20th-highest of the 27 schools in Macclesfield with published results, and 9,982nd of 14,452 across England. It was 73% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy in detail
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "My name is Jackie Summers and I am extremely proud to be the Headteacher at St Alban's Catholic Primary School. The family of St Alban's School is very special. We are a diverse school community, enriched by a broad range of nationalities, cultures and abilities."
The school runs after-school care, from £6.50 per session.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 80% and 78% in Cheshire East and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 85% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 48 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 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 St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy are Upton Priory School (0.4 miles, Good, 65% reading, 75% maths); Broken Cross Primary Academy and Nursery (0.6 miles, Good, 76% reading, 69% maths); Whirley Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 87% reading, 81% maths); and St John the Evangelist CofE Primary School Macclesfield (0.7 miles, Good, 76% reading, 73% maths).
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Upton Priory SchoolBroken Cross Primary Academy and NurseryWhirley Primary SchoolSt John the Evangelist CofE Primary School Macclesfield
The trust
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is one of 18 schools run by Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 18 schools in Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Academy Trust
What parents say
57 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 79% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 46% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (46%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Macclesfield Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Keats Drive (cnr), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 118 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cheshire East (61), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy issued 7 suspensions, 2.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy are The Fallibroome Academy (0.4 miles), All Hallows Catholic College (0.9 miles), Tytherington School (1.3 miles) and The Macclesfield Academy (1.4 miles).
The Fallibroome AcademyAll Hallows Catholic CollegeTytherington SchoolThe Macclesfield Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2014, 11 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 February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Alban's is a happy, caring school where children thrive. Teachers know pupils as individuals and celebrate their achievements, which motivates them to do their best. The school has a strong approach to reading, and children in early years get a great start with well-planned activities that build important skills.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6
- Strong behaviour and positive attitudes to learning, with pupils being polite, respectful and well-mannered
- Effective support for children in early years with well-planned activities that develop important skills
- Good provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities with well-targeted adaptations
- Pupils develop strong leadership skills and take pride in their contributions to the school through activities like gardening and charity work
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects are not as well embedded in the curriculum, with unclear identification of the most important knowledge pupils should learn
- Inconsistent teaching of phonics and early writing means some pupils struggle with letter formation and reading fluency
- Gaps in checking what pupils have learned across different subjects means learning sometimes moves on before pupils are ready
- Some subject leaders lack the skills to oversee curriculum effectiveness and make needed improvements
- Variable implementation of the curriculum across subjects means some pupils do not achieve as well as they should
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school ensures pupils are safe and feel secure.
Extracurricular Activities
gardening club, go green group, recycling activities, growing activities, local and further afield trips, residentials, buddy system, prefects, play leader roles
St Alban's Catholic Primary School is a caring and welcoming school where pupils are happy and behave well. However, the quality of education requires improvement, particularly in how some subjects are taught and how consistently teachers check what pupils have learned.
At a Glance
17.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
57 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 declined from 85% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 85% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 70% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.4
Avg class size
20.2
Infant (KS1)
24.0
KS2
12
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Term dates
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cheshire East's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 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 St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cheshire East, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy for 2016 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
73%
Available places
306 pupils
418 places
112 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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
18.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
268
Total Pupils
136
Boys
132
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
20.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,699
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,055
Per pupil
£1691k
Total funding
£71k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
7.0%
Persistent absence
273
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
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 70% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy 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 St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 73% of its 418 places.
How big are the classes at St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy average 22.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy has around 268 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
4.3% of sessions were missed at St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Cheshire East's coordinated admissions process, naming St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 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 St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is at Priory Lane, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 3HJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)