St Mary's Church of England Aided Primary School, Prestwich, Manchester

Outstanding
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~464m)Possible (~663m)Unlikely (~862m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Deborah Holding
Pupils:240 / 210 capacity
LA:Bury
Phone:01617733794
Address:Rectory Lane, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1BP
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 years ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Outstanding

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 12 February 2025View full report
URN:105342
UKPRN:10068586
Diocese:Diocese of Manchester
Constituency:Bury South
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

St Mary's is an outstanding school where pupils receive consistently excellent teaching and are challenged to achieve well above national averages. The school has a calm, purposeful atmosphere with impeccable pupil behaviour and very high attendance. The Early Years provision gives children an excellent start, and strong leadership ensures all aspects of the school's work are regularly monitored and improved.

Key Strengths

  • Outstanding teaching throughout the school with pupils consistently challenged to work above expectations for their age
  • Pupils achieve well-above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 and Year 6
  • Behaviour and conduct are impeccable with excellent attitudes to learning and very high attendance rates
  • Leadership is outstanding with a strong focus on pupils' learning and systematic checking of teaching quality
  • Early Years Foundation Stage provides an excellent start with children achieving exceptionally well

Areas for Improvement

  • Use the successful methods that have raised achievement of the most-able pupils in mathematics to similarly raise achievement in reading and writing

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective with no concerns about the school's arrangements for safeguarding pupils and staff, and pupils express no concerns about their safety in school.

Extracurricular Activities

Karate lessons for Year 6, competitive and non-competitive sports activities, school council, quiet reading area in playground

St Mary's Church of England Aided Primary School in Prestwich is an outstanding school that has improved significantly since its previous inspection. The school is driven by consistently outstanding leadership, exceptional teaching quality, and outstanding pupil behaviour.

At a Glance

9.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

81 responses
Would recommend90%
Child is happy95%
Well taught91%
Good progress74%
Feels safe96%
Well behaved91%
Bullying dealt with19%
Kept informed86%
Handles concerns52%
Wider development82%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+3ppMaths-10ppWriting

Reading has remained stable at around 79%. Maths has declined from 86% to 76%. Writing has remained stable at around 79%.

Class Sizes

28.6

Avg class size

30.0

Infant (KS1)

30.3

KS2

8

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Tube / Metro / Tram

Prestwich (Manchester Metrolink) (To Bury)
26m · 0 min walk

Bus Stops

Longfield Centre (Stop C)
62m · 1 min walk
Heys Road (W-bound)
99m · 2 min walk
Fairfax Road (W-bound)
120m · 2 min walk
Clarks Hill (nr)
203m · 3 min walk
Red Lion (opp)
241m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

114%

Over capacity

240 pupils

210 capacity

30 places over capacity

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 - Bury

Low demand0.82x oversubscription

Places available

2,316

Applications

1,908

Got 1st preference

95.0%

Got preferred school

99.0%

Primary admissions across Bury (2025/26)

Inspection History(10)

12 February 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
13 October 2020
10 September 2014
OutstandingReport
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding

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SEN Provision

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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

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.51755%

Overall absence

4.37158%

Persistent absence

183

Enrolments

Authorised2.93178%
Unauthorised0.58578%
Persistent (10%+)4.37158%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

3.17118%
18/19
1.89286%
20/21
4.96674%
21/22
3.66839%
22/23
3.93397%
23/24
3.51755%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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