St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton, Manchester

Good
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~363m)Possible (~519m)Unlikely (~675m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Miss L Rigby
Pupils:397 / 420 capacity
LA:Wigan
Phone:01942883919
Address:Bolton Old Road, Atherton, Manchester, M46 9FD
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:106515
UKPRN:10068651
Diocese:Diocese of Manchester
Constituency:Leigh and Atherton
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

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 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-6ppMaths-8ppWriting

Reading has declined from 86% to 80%. Maths has declined from 88% to 80%. Writing has remained stable at around 78%.

Class Sizes

28.3

Avg class size

26.7

Infant (KS1)

29.5

KS2

14

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Atherton Rail Station (Entrance)
289m · 5 min walk

Bus Stops

Car Bank Street (nr)
93m · 2 min walk
Atherton Rail Station (Stop B)
121m · 2 min walk
Buxton Close (opp)
128m · 2 min walk
Gloucester Street (nr)
228m · 4 min walk
Bradshaw Street (opp)
235m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

95%

Near capacity

397 pupils

420 capacity

23 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 - Wigan

Low demand0.92x oversubscription

Places available

3,894

Applications

3,601

Got 1st preference

89.7%

Got preferred school

97.0%

Primary admissions across Wigan (2025/26)

Inspection History(104)

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

5.45792%

Overall absence

13.54467%

Persistent absence

347

Enrolments

Authorised4.00284%
Unauthorised1.45508%
Persistent (10%+)13.54467%
Severe (50%+)1.44092%

Absence trend

2.97019%
18/19
2.56529%
20/21
4.54217%
21/22
5.29002%
22/23
5.77291%
23/24
5.45792%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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