St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, Manchester
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Manchester. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 46th-highest of the 258 schools in Manchester with published results, and 3,408th of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bury (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School in detail
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am very proud to be the Headteacher of St.Margaret's C.E. We are a happy, friendly school with a wonderful, committed team of staff and governors."
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an open evening on Tuesday 3 November 2026 and an open evening on Thursday 26 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 77% in Bury and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (83% in reading, 89% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 31 families put St Margaret's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 55 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Margaret's Church of England Primary School are St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles, 71% reading, 79% maths); Heaton Park Primary School (0.7 miles, 76% reading, 76% maths); Whitefield Community Primary School (0.8 miles, 71% reading, 71% maths); and Mersey Drive Community Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 62% reading, 50% maths).
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyHeaton Park Primary SchoolWhitefield Community Primary SchoolMersey Drive Community Primary School
What parents say
41 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Margaret's Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 78% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
9.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Besses o'th'barn (Manchester Metrolink), about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Parrenthorn Road (near), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Margaret's Church of England Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Margaret's Church of England Primary School issued 0 suspensions, 0 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Margaret's Church of England Primary School are Parrenthorn High School (0.1 miles), The Heys School (0.9 miles) and Unsworth Academy (1.2 miles).
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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school's vision is the heartbeat of pupils' experience of the school and influences their behaviour and outlook. Pupils are encouraged to 'work hard, dream big and never give up' and 'above all, love each other deeply'. This vision inspires pupils to support each other and to treat those around them with the utmost respect and kindness. Pupils routinely contribute as leaders within the school. They take these roles seriously and act brilliantly as role models for their peers. Together, staff have created a culture that helps all pupils to feel fully included in the life of the school. Pupils are happy and safe in this caring school.
The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. These expectations are reflected in staff practice as they remove barriers to learning that pupils might encounter. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) become confident learners thanks to the support that they receive. Pupils, and children in the early years, learn most of the curriculum well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders have recently implemented an ambitious curriculum. This is beginning to have a positive impact on pupils. Across the curriculum, the knowledge and language that pupils need are clearly identified. Adults check that pupils remember the important knowledge that they are taught. In history, for example, pupils discussed their impressive knowledge of the Mayan civilisation and the impact of trade on its development. In art and design, pupils explained their deep knowledge of different mediums to create tone and the illusion of depth.
In mathematics, children quickly become confident with numbers. Across school, pupils have lots of opportunities to rehearse and repeat their learning. Pupils become highly fluent mathematicians. They use this fluency and knowledge to confidently solve mathematical problems. However, some subjects are in the earlier stages of development. In these subjects, the explanations and activities that teachers select do not support pupils to learn the important knowledge in the curriculum securely. In these subjects, some pupils find it more difficult to remember new learning and connect it to the things that they already know.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded 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 December 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
41 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 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 88% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.4
Avg class size
24.3
Infant (KS1)
31.5
KS2
7
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
SENCO
2 Oct 2026
Year 6
21 Sep 2026
Year 5
21 Sep 2026
Diary Dates
18 Sep 2026
Newsletter 14/09/26
14 Sep 2026
Entrance and Exit details for the new school year
1 Sep 2026
From St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Margaret's Church of England Primary School.
- SmartiesAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Bury. 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 St Margaret's Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is in Bury; for families living there:
Apply to Bury for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 17 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
5 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 Bury is 10 (the median across 92 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 Margaret's Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Margaret's Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Margaret's Church of England Primary School.
- Bury publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Margaret's Church of England Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bury 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
92%
Near capacity
220 pupils
240 places
20 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Manchester
Across Bury council
Places available
2,275
Applications
1,901
Got 1st preference
91.4%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All primary applications across Bury council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
19.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
199
Total Pupils
111
Boys
88
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,953
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,124
Per pupil
£1248k
Total funding
£26k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.7%
Overall absence
6.5%
Persistent absence
199
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 Margaret's Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 88% did so in maths.
What is St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Bury allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 240 places.
How big are the classes at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Classes at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School average 28.4 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School has around 199 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
4.7% of sessions were missed at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 6.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Bury's coordinated admissions process, naming St Margaret's Church of England 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 St Margaret's Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Smarties (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's term dates?
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Bury. 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 St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 17 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 5 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 Bury is 10 (the median across 92 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is at Heywood Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 2BW.
Sources: Bury term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)