St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone, Rochdale
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Rochdale, part of Watergrove Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was 99% full in 2025.
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Rochdale (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone in detail
Results
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2025, under its previous registration (URN 105804), 59% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 52% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
Getting a place at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone
For September 2026 entry, 31 families put St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone as their first choice and 102 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone are Lowerplace Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 49% reading, 60% maths); Holy Family Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.5 miles); St Peter's Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 63% reading, 72% maths); and Sandbrook Community Primary School (0.5 miles, 66% reading, 65% maths).
Lowerplace Primary SchoolHoly Family Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademySt Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolSandbrook Community Primary School
The trust
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone is one of 9 schools run by Watergrove Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
43.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 12% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (71%), Black (11%) and Asian (6%).
In 2026, 39 pupils (18.8%) received SEN support and 13 (6.3%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 26 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rochdale Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Charlotte Street (near), 70 metres away.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone are Kingsway Park High School (0.4 miles); and St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles).
Kingsway Park High SchoolSt Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data; GIAS establishment links; DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in February 2025. Before that, as St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone (URN 105804), it was rated Good in June 2017.
At a Glance
43.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.7
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
Results at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone before it took its current form in 2025 (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25Published under the school's previous registration (URN 105804). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 47% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 52% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 62% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone.
- Dream Big Sports Wraparound Care - Lowerplace Primary School510m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone is an academy, 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone 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
- 29
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 22 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 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 Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone
Will you get a place at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Rochdale, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone for 2026 entry.
- How many families in Rochdale 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
99%
Near capacity
208 pupils
210 places
2 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Rochdale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rochdale
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: Oversubscribed
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
39
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
25.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
208
Total Pupils
122
Boys
86
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
26.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,563
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,923
Per pupil
£1446k
Total funding
£121k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Absence at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone before it took its current form in 20252024/25
Published under the school's previous registration (URN 105804). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
5.3%
Overall absence
16.1%
Persistent absence
186
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 Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone
Questions parents ask about St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone
Are there exam results for St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2025, under its previous registration (URN 105804), 59% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 52% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
What is St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in February 2025. Before that, as St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone (URN 105804), it was rated Good in June 2017.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone is oversubscribed, Rochdale allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone?
Classes at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone average 29.7 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone has around 208 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone?
Apply through Rochdale's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone 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 Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone: Dream Big Sports Wraparound Care - Lowerplace Primary School (510m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 22 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone is at Oldham Road, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL11 2HB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)