The Willows Primary School, Manchester
The Willows Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Manchester, part of Children of Success Schools Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 143rd-highest of the 258 schools in Manchester with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was 90% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- 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 Manchester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Willows Primary School in detail
The Willows Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "The Willows Primary School is part of the Children of Success Schools Trust (COSST) along with Haveley Hey Community School. We believe in learning through partnerships and are part of a variety of networks both in Wythenshawe and beyond. The Willows values the diversity of our community and embraces the contribution of every individual."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at The Willows Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 68% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 74% in Manchester and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 67% in reading and 56% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at The Willows Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 36 families put The Willows Primary School as their first choice and 109 named it as one of their preferences, for 37 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 The Willows Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Willows Primary School are St Anthony's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 64% reading, 60% maths); Ringway Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 75% maths); Haveley Hey Community School (0.7 miles, Good, 70% reading, 68% maths); and St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 70% reading, 63% maths).
The Willows Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
St Anthony's Catholic Primary SchoolRingway Primary SchoolHaveley Hey Community SchoolSt Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School
The trust
The Willows Primary School is one of 2 schools run by Children of Success Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
57.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 101 pupils (24.8%) received SEN support and 32 (7.9%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Robinswood Road (Manchester Metrolink), about 360 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tayfield Road (opposite), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Willows Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Willows Primary School issued 25 suspensions, 5.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Willows Primary School are Manchester Enterprise Academy (0.4 miles), Saint Paul's Catholic High School (0.8 miles) and Dixons Newall Green Academy (1.1 miles).
Manchester Enterprise AcademySaint Paul's Catholic High SchoolDixons Newall Green Academy
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2022 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
57.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 67% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 56% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 61% to 65% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.4
Avg class size
24.2
Infant (KS1)
28.4
KS2
16
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Willows Primary School
Before and after school care
The Willows Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Manchester
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Willows Primary School.
- EdStart St Anthony's RC Primary320m away · Not yet graded
- EdStart Ringway Primary670m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Willows Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Willows Primary School is in Manchester; for families living there:
Apply to Manchester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 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 The Willows Primary School
Will you get a place at The Willows Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Willows Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Willows Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Willows Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Manchester, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Willows Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Manchester 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
90%
Near capacity
382 pupils
423 places
41 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 Manchester council
Places available
7,530
Applications
5,736
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Manchester council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
101
SEN Support
32
EHC Plans
32.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
407
Total Pupils
200
Boys
207
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
18.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,438
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,225
Per pupil
£2867k
Total funding
£335k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
14.6%
Persistent absence
370
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
The Willows Primary School
Questions parents ask about The Willows Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Willows Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Willows Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is The Willows Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Willows Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2022, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Willows Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When The Willows Primary School is oversubscribed, Manchester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Willows Primary School?
The Willows Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 423 places.
How big are the classes at The Willows Primary School?
Classes at The Willows Primary School average 25.4 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 The Willows Primary School?
The Willows Primary School has around 407 pupils on roll. 58% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Willows Primary School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at The Willows Primary School in 2024/25. 14.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Willows Primary School?
Apply through Manchester's coordinated admissions process, naming The Willows 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 The Willows Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
The Willows Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of The Willows Primary School: EdStart St Anthony's RC Primary (320m away, registered, not yet graded) and EdStart Ringway Primary (670m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near The Willows Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Willows Primary School?
The Willows Primary School is at Tayfield Road, Woodhouse Park, Manchester, M22 1BQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)