Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School, Manchester
Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Manchester. It has a Church of England/Free Church religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2016. That was 10 years ago, so the rating may not reflect the school today. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 81st-highest of the 258 schools in Manchester with published results, and 5,545th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Oldham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 74% in Oldham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 89% in reading and 78% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 20 families put Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School as their first choice and 54 named it as one of their preferences, for 20 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School are Holy Family RC Primary School (0.7 miles, 63% reading, 78% maths); Limehurst Community Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 83% reading, 83% maths); St John's Church of England Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 73% reading, 70% maths); and Higher Failsworth Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 55% reading, 68% maths).
Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Holy Family RC Primary SchoolLimehurst Community Primary SchoolSt John's Church of England Primary SchoolHigher Failsworth Primary School
What parents say
28 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (93%).
Who goes there
2.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 11 pupils (8.3%) received SEN support and 3 (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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School had 4 teachers in 2026, one for every 33 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Hollinwood (Manchester Metrolink), about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Medlock Road (sw-bound), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School issued 6 suspensions, 4.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School are Co-op Academy Failsworth (0.6 miles) and Laurus Ryecroft (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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 11 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Your child will be welcomed into a caring, inclusive school where behaviour is excellent and everyone is treated with respect and kindness. Staff know your child well and provide strong support for their learning, particularly in early reading and early years. The school balances academic progress with personal development, helping children build confidence and resilience through a range of clubs and enrichment activities.
Key Strengths
- Strong early years provision with effective phonics teaching and good preparation for Year 1
- Calm, respectful school culture with excellent behaviour and attendance
- Effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils through tailored strategies
- Well-sequenced personal development programme that builds confidence and character
- Strong leadership that balances high expectations with care for staff wellbeing
Areas for Improvement
- Learning tasks are not always clearly matched to pupils' needs, slowing identification of knowledge gaps
- Fewer pupils than national average achieve the higher standard by end of Key Stage 2
- Some pupils need more precise and quicker identification of misconceptions to develop deeper understanding
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met. Leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Cookery club, arts and crafts, music events, sporting competitions
Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School is a well-led school where most pupils progress well through a carefully designed curriculum. The school has created a safe, inclusive culture where pupils feel valued and supported.
At a Glance
21.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
28 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 89% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 78% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 89% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.5
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
23.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School is in Oldham; for families living there:
Apply to Oldham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Oldham is 14 (the median across 129 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 Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School
Will you get a place at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Oldham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Oldham 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
133 pupils
140 places
7 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 Oldham council
Places available
3,927
Applications
2,814
Got 1st preference
92.0%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Oldham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
11
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
10.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
133
Total Pupils
68
Boys
65
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
33.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,924
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,872
Per pupil
£885k
Total funding
£45k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
9.4%
Persistent absence
117
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
Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School
Questions parents ask about Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School
What are SATs results like at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School?
Of the pupils at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 89% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2025, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School is oversubscribed, Oldham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School?
Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School?
Classes at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School average 26.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School?
Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School has around 133 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School?
4% of sessions were missed at Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School in 2024/25. 9.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School?
Apply through Oldham's coordinated admissions process, naming Woodhouses Voluntary 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.
How many road collisions happen near Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Oldham is 14 (the median across 129 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School?
Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School is at Ashton Road, Woodhouses, Manchester, M35 9WL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)