SchoolScoresBowker Vale Primary School
Community school · Primary, ages 3 to 11 · Mixed · Nursery class
Middleton Road, Higher Crumpsall, Manchester, M8 4NB
0161 740 5993 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 5 July 2017.
This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good |
| Outcomes for pupils | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Early years | Good |
| Safeguarding | Effective |
Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 10 February 2023: Ofsted found the school was still Good.
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
Results
Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25
61 pupils in this year group.
61% — 3 points above the Manchester average, and about the same as the England average.
| Measure | This school | Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 61% | 58% | 62% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 3% | 5% | 8% |
| Met the expected standard in reading | 67% | 72% | 75% |
| Met the expected standard in writing | 72% | 67% | 72% |
| Met the expected standard in maths | 77% | 72% | 74% |
| Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. | 103 | 105 | 106 |
| Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. | 104 | 104 | 105 |
Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Manchester. The national closing date for primary applications is 15 January, and offers are sent on 16 April.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were about one first-choice application for every place.
| Places offered | 45 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 43 |
| Of those, offered a place | 43 (100%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 84 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 1.0 · 2025: 1.0 · 2026: 1.0
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
Pupils, staff and SEND
Specialist SEND provision: this school has resourced provision with 6 places for social, emotional and mental health needs. These places are usually allocated through the council's SEND team.
| Pupils | This school | Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 77th highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester. Higher than 89% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 48.5% | 48.7%* | 26.3% |
| With an education, health and care plan 28th highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester. Higher than 88% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 6.2% | 4.8%* | 3.5% |
| Receiving special educational needs support 118th highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester. Higher than 12% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 8.6% | 15.3%* | 15.0% |
| English as an additional language 41st highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester. Higher than 92% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 55.4% | 45.9%* | 23.4% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) Joint 98th lowest of 130 state primary schools in Manchester. Lower than 17% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 6.4% | 5.6%* | 5.2% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 94th lowest of 130 state primary schools in Manchester. Lower than 20% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 17.9% | 15.4%* | 13.0% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils 56th lowest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester. Lower than 58% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 0.7 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
| Pupils suspended at least once 56th lowest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester. Lower than 60% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 0.4% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils | 0.00% | 0.03% | 0.03% |
| Pupils per teacher Joint 86th highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester. Higher than 36% of 16,642 state primary schools in England. | 19.4 | 20.6 | 20.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) Joint 109th highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester. Higher than 19% of 16,653 state primary schools in England. | 8.8 | 10.1 | 10.6 |
| Teachers who left during the year Joint 40th highest of 130 state primary schools in Manchester. Higher than 63% of 15,063 state primary schools in England. | 16.7% | 13.6%* | 14.4%* |
Comparisons are with primary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).
Nearby primary schools
- Crab Lane Primary School 0.5 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2024) · 56% met expected standard (KS2)
- St Clare's RC Primary School 0.9 miles · Ofsted: Good (2014), confirmed 2024 · 55% met expected standard (KS2)
- Crumpsall Lane Primary School 1.0 miles · Ofsted: Good (2023) · 60% met expected standard (KS2)
- St Hilda's CofE Primary School 1.0 miles · Ofsted: Good (2023) · 50% met expected standard (KS2)
- Pike Fold Primary School 1.0 miles · Ofsted: Good (2013), confirmed 2023 · 57% met expected standard (KS2)
- King David Primary School 1.1 miles · Ofsted: Outstanding (2016), confirmed 2023 · 64% met expected standard (KS2)
- Manchester Junior Girls' School 1.1 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Good (2023)
- Sedgley Park Community Primary School 1.1 miles · Ofsted: Good (2014, before conversion), confirmed 2024 · 70% met expected standard (KS2)
- Cravenwood Primary Academy 1.1 miles · Ofsted: Good (2017), confirmed 2023 · 73% met expected standard (KS2)
- E-ACT Blackley Academy 1.2 miles · Ofsted: Good (2024) · 62% met expected standard (KS2)
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is Bowker Vale Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Bowker Vale Primary School was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 5 July 2017. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 10 February 2023, Ofsted found the school was still Good.
How did Bowker Vale Primary School do in its SATs?
In 2024/25, 61% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, about the same as the England average of 62%.
Is Bowker Vale Primary School oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 43 families put Bowker Vale Primary School as their first choice for 45 places: about one first-choice application for every place. 43 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 105397.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Results: DfE school performance tables, Key stage 2 2024/25.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.