St Margaret's CofE Primary School, Manchester

Good
Primary
Voluntary controlled school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~531m)Possible (~758m)Unlikely (~985m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr David Hunter
Pupils:601 / 720 capacity
LA:Manchester
Phone:01612262271
Address:Withington Road, Whalley Range, Manchester, M16 8FQ
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:105493
UKPRN:10068581
Diocese:Diocese of Manchester
Constituency:Manchester Rusholme
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

St Margaret's excels at creating an inclusive, welcoming environment where children from all backgrounds thrive together. Pupils achieve excellent results, particularly in mathematics and upper key stage 2, thanks to strong teaching and careful tracking of progress. The school has successfully managed rapid growth while maintaining its warm, respectful community spirit.

Key Strengths

  • Excellent pupil achievement in mathematics and at key stage 2, with standards higher than the national average
  • Strong teaching that regularly checks pupils' understanding, leading to rapid progress
  • Inclusive community that celebrates diversity with warmth and respect
  • Effective leadership with honest self-evaluation and good support from governors
  • Good progress being made in early years and key stage 1 through improved assessment practices

Areas for Improvement

  • Early years and key stage 1 provision not as effective as key stage 2 - needs stronger leadership continuity
  • Curriculum review should focus more on deepening pupils' skills and understanding across subjects, not just enrichment activities
  • Improvement plans lack specific actions and measurable targets, especially for early years and key stage 1
  • Assessment systems for subjects beyond reading, writing and mathematics need further development

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective, with strong staff training, vigilant culture, and swift action on concerns, though building accessibility was initially identified as a minor issue and quickly resolved.

St Margaret's CofE Primary School continues to be good, successfully bringing together over 600 pupils from 48 languages and diverse backgrounds into a happy, inclusive community. Pupils achieve much better than their peers nationally, particularly in mathematics and at key stage 2.

At a Glance

52.9%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+5ppMaths+8ppWriting+9pp

Reading has improved from 68% to 73%. Maths has improved from 78% to 86%. Writing has improved from 71% to 80%.

Class Sizes

25.8

Avg class size

26.4

Infant (KS1)

27.3

KS2

23

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Burford Road (nr)
54m · 1 min walk
Manley Road (nr)
266m · 4 min walk
Russell Avenue (nr)
298m · 5 min walk
Range Road (nr)
347m · 6 min walk
Demesne Road (nr)
434m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

83%

Available places

601 pupils

720 capacity

119 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Manchester

Low pressure
New homes approved:18,398
Projected new pupils:4,600

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Manchester

Admissions Demand - Manchester

Low demand0.77x oversubscription

Places available

7,395

Applications

5,691

Got 1st preference

97.3%

Got preferred school

99.5%

Primary admissions across Manchester (2025/26)

Inspection History(107)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.48363%

Overall absence

15.6015%

Persistent absence

532

Enrolments

Authorised3.46799%
Unauthorised2.01564%
Persistent (10%+)15.6015%
Severe (50%+)0.18797%

Absence trend

4.82508%
18/19
6.98755%
20/21
8.62987%
21/22
8.43976%
22/23
6.12288%
23/24
5.48363%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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