Stalyhill Infant School, Stalybridge

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Stalyhill Infant School on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Overall, pupils achieve well."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils have consistently high rates of attendance."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed a well-designed early years foundation stage curriculum."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed appropriate systems to identify and assess pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Typically, leaders have a clear understanding of the school's context."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed a rich programme of personal development for all pupils."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders do not have a secure insight into the quality of curriculum and teaching."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should improve how they evaluate the quality of curriculum delivery and the impact it has on pupils' knowledge so that deficiencies can be routinely identified and addressed"; "Leaders should ensure that the delivery of writing and phonics is more effective, and that approaches to target pupils' gaps in foundational knowledge are more rigorous"; "In the early years, staff should further develop how they engage children in high-quality interactions so that they maximise opportunities to deepen children's learning".

For September 2026 entry, 43 families put Stalyhill Infant School as their first choice and 74 named it as one of their preferences, for 43 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Stalyhill Infant School are Stalyhill Junior School (0.1 miles, Good, 82% reading, 78% maths); Wild Bank Primary School (0.8 miles, Requires improvement, 79% reading, 86% maths); Broadbent Fold Primary School and Nursery (1 mile, Good, 88% reading, 81% maths); and St. Peter's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (1.1 miles, 84% reading, 80% maths).

9.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (82%), Mixed (9%) and Asian (6%).

In 2026, 5 pupils (3.5%) received SEN support and 4 (2.8%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Stalybridge Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stalyhill Infant School (sw-bound), 40 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Stalyhill Infant School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Stalyhill Infant School issued 2 suspensions, 1.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Stalyhill Infant School are Dixons Pennine Academy (1.1 miles) and Longdendale High School (1.4 miles).