St Mary's CofE Primary School, Sale
St Mary's CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Sale. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 16 schools in Sale with published results, and 2,234th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 111% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Trafford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Mary's CofE Primary School in detail
St Mary's CofE Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.’ We prepare our children to take their place in a diverse world. The individual care our children receive allows them to feel safe and grow into confident, excellent people."
From the headteacher's welcome: "St. Mary’s is a caring family school which takes pride in its children, who achieve much success in a wide range of activities. You may choose St. Mary’s for several reasons: its Christian foundation, high academic achievement, wider curriculum opportunities or its caring family school ethos. We aim to provide all these and more."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 11 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Trafford
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 91% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 85% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 84% and 82% in Trafford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 97% in reading and 91% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Mary's CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 20 families put St Mary's CofE Primary School as their first choice and 81 named it as one of their preferences, for 20 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary's CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's CofE Primary School are Park Road Sale Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 100% reading, 97% maths); Wellfield Infant and Nursery School (0.4 miles, Outstanding); Wellfield Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 86% reading, 82% maths); and Springfield Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 90% maths).
St Mary's CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Park Road Sale Primary SchoolWellfield Infant and Nursery SchoolWellfield Junior SchoolSpringfield Primary School
What parents say
13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Mary's CofE Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
6.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 37 pupils (15.5%) received SEN support and 5 (2.1%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Sale (Manchester Metrolink), about 870 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Barker's Lane (se-bound), 120 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Mary's CofE Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Mary's CofE Primary School are Ashton-on-Mersey School (0.4 miles) and Sale Grammar School (0.8 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); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Mary's is a welcoming, inclusive school where pupils are exceptionally well-behaved and genuinely happy. The school excels at developing confident, caring readers and supporting children with special needs to succeed alongside their peers. Parents will appreciate the strong focus on personal development, with pupils gaining a mature understanding of diversity and being well-prepared for life in modern Britain.
Key Strengths
- Exemplary pupil behaviour and attitudes, with pupils showing great respect and consideration for others
- Outstanding personal development with extensive enrichment activities and strong focus on British values and diversity
- Strong reading programme from early years through to key stage 2, with pupils achieving fluency and comprehension
- Effective support for pupils with SEND, enabling them to follow the same curriculum successfully
- Warm, caring school community where pupils feel safe and supported by staff
Areas for Improvement
- In a few subjects, leaders have not clearly identified the most important concepts and specific key knowledge pupils should learn, which prevents some pupils from building on prior learning effectively
- Teachers in some subjects do not always teach new content that builds on what pupils already know, limiting pupil independence and achievement in these areas
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with regular staff training, clear reporting procedures, swift follow-up of concerns, and collaboration with external agencies when necessary.
Extracurricular Activities
Choir, cookery, Chinese club, sports clubs, reading buddies scheme, school sports council, reading council, arts festival, water and fire safety learning
St Mary's C of E Primary School is judged as Good overall, with Outstanding ratings for behaviour and personal development. The school provides a warm, caring learning community where pupils are happy, safe, and achieve well across most subjects.
At a Glance
6.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
13 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 97% to 91% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 91% to 85% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 89% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
28.3
Infant (KS1)
34.5
KS2
8
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Mary's CofE Primary School
'On The Vine' Autumn HT1
7 Sep 2026
'Summer Fruits' Bulletin 2026
23 Jul 2026
'On The Vine' Summer HT2
20 May 2026
'On The Vine' Summer HT1
2 Apr 2026
'Spring Fruits' Bulletin 2026
2 Apr 2026
'On the Vine' Spring HT2
25 Feb 2026
From St Mary's CofE Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St Mary's CofE Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Mary's CofE Primary School.
- Bowen Education170m away · Not yet graded
- Sports And All Limited170m away · Not yet graded
- Bitesize Bootcamp170m away · Not yet graded
- KUMON Sale Study Centre460m away · Not yet graded
- Beyond the Physical Wrap Around670m away · Not yet graded
- Trafford Tuition at Springfield Primary School720m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Mary's CofE Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Trafford's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's CofE Primary School is in Trafford; for families living there:
Apply to Trafford for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 15 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 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 Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 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 CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at St Mary's CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's CofE Primary School.
- Trafford publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Mary's CofE Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mary's CofE Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Trafford 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
111%
Over capacity
233 pupils
210 places
23 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sale
Across Trafford council
Places available
2,990
Applications
2,238
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
99.6%
All primary applications across Trafford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
17.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
239
Total Pupils
126
Boys
113
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,025
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,974
Per pupil
£1248k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
4.7%
Persistent absence
213
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 CofE Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Mary's CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Mary's CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Mary's CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 91% reached the expected standard in reading and 85% did so in maths.
What is St Mary's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's CofE Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2007 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, Trafford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Mary's CofE Primary School?
St Mary's CofE Primary School was full in 2025, at 111% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Mary's CofE Primary School?
Classes at St Mary's CofE Primary School average 29.3 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Mary's CofE Primary School?
St Mary's CofE Primary School has around 239 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's CofE Primary School?
3.3% of sessions were missed at St Mary's CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 4.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's CofE Primary School?
Apply through Trafford's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's CofE 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 Mary's CofE Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 6 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Mary's CofE Primary School: Bowen Education (170m away, registered, not yet graded), Sports And All Limited (170m away, registered, not yet graded) and Bitesize Bootcamp (170m 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 CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 15 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 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 Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Mary's CofE Primary School?
St Mary's CofE Primary School is at St Mary's Road, Sale, Cheshire, M33 6SA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)