St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton, Manchester
St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton 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 November 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 85th-highest of the 258 schools in Manchester with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wigan (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton in detail
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Wigan and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 86% in reading and 88% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton
For September 2026 entry, 40 families put St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton as their first choice and 102 named it as one of their preferences, for 54 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton are Chowbent Primary School (0.1 miles, Good, 61% reading, 54% maths); Meadowbank Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 87% reading, 87% maths); St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School Atherton (0.5 miles, Good, 54% reading, 75% maths); and Parklee Primary School (0.5 miles).
St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Chowbent Primary SchoolMeadowbank Primary SchoolSt Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School AthertonParklee Primary School
Who goes there
15.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 62 pupils (15.6%) received SEN support and 9 (2.3%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Atherton Rail Station, about 290 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Car Bank Street (near), 90 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton issued 1 suspension, 0.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton are Atherton High School (0.6 miles) and Fred Longworth High School (0.9 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Philip's provides an exceptional range of enrichment activities and personal development opportunities that help pupils thrive. Teachers are well-trained and deliver a broad curriculum that works well for most children, including those with additional needs. The school has created a caring, respectful environment where pupils feel happy, safe and supported.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding personal development programme with excellent enrichment activities including garden crafts, dance, and culture clubs
- Strong reading culture with effective phonics teaching - most pupils become confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2
- Well-designed, knowledge-rich curriculum that builds incrementally from Reception to Year 6
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils through adapted teaching and plentiful trips and outdoor learning
- High pupil attendance and excellent behaviour with a strong culture of respect and kindness
Areas for Improvement
- Some teachers do not design sufficiently appropriate learning activities, meaning some pupils lack secure foundations for future learning
- Not all teachers consistently use available information to plan suitable activities for pupils with SEND
- Need for increased training to ensure all teachers develop pupils' deep and rich subject knowledge effectively
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a strong culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Garden crafts, dance class, culture clubs, trips, outdoor learning activities
St Philip's CofE Primary School is a Good school where pupils live out the school's motto of 'together, we achieve', with high expectations leading to strong academic progress across most subjects.
At a Glance
15.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 86% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 88% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.9
Avg class size
28.4
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
13
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton is in Wigan; for families living there:
Apply to Wigan for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
4 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 Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 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 Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton
Will you get a place at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wigan, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Wigan 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
95%
Near capacity
397 pupils
420 places
23 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 Wigan council
Places available
3,894
Applications
3,541
Got 1st preference
88.7%
Got preferred school
97.3%
All primary applications across Wigan council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
62
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
17.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
397
Total Pupils
186
Boys
211
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,086
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,974
Per pupil
£2161k
Total funding
£85k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
13.5%
Persistent absence
347
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 Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton
Questions parents ask about St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton
What are SATs results like at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton?
Of the pupils at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton's Ofsted rating?
St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2009 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton?
No fixed boundary. When St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton is oversubscribed, Wigan allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton?
St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton?
Classes at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton average 28.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton?
St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton has around 397 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton?
5.5% of sessions were missed at St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton in 2024/25. 13.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton?
Apply through Wigan's coordinated admissions process, naming St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 4 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 Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton?
St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton is at Bolton Old Road, Atherton, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M46 9FD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)