St Margaret's CofE Primary School

Voluntary controlled school · Primary, ages 3 to 11 · Mixed · Church of England · Nursery class

Withington Road, Whalley Range, Manchester, M16 8FQ

0161 226 2271 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedGoodInspected 20 June 2023
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths69%England 62% · 2024/25
Joint 38th highest of 130 state primary schools in Manchester.
Higher than 61% of 14,185 state primary schools in England.
Pupils601Room for 720 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 661 in 2019, 648 in 2021, 642 in 2022, 643 in 2023, 662 in 2024, 642 in 2025, 601 in 2026. Across England, primary state school pupil numbers were down 4% from 2019 to 2025.
First-choice applications per place0.948 for 52 places, September 2026
Joint 110th highest of 134 state primary schools in Manchester.
Higher than 29% of 15,826 state primary schools in England.

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 20 June 2023.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentOutstanding
Leadership and managementGood
Early yearsOutstanding
SafeguardingEffective

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

84 pupils in this year group.

69% — 11 points above the Manchester average, and 7 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolManchesterEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 69% 58% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 12% 5% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 73% 72% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 80% 67% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 86% 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. 107 104 105
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
50% 60% 70% 80% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2022/23: 61%This school 2023/24: 61%This school 2024/25: 69% This school England 62% 2022/23 61% 2023/24 61% 2024/25 69%

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 offered52
Families who put it first48
Of those, offered a place48 (100%)
Families who listed it at all130

First-choice applications per place: 2024: 1.0 · 2025: 1.0 · 2026: 0.9

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.

This is a Church of England school, but as a voluntary controlled school its admissions are set by the council, which usually doesn't prioritise by faith. Check the council's admissions criteria.

Admissions dates and schools in Manchester

Pupils, staff and SEND

PupilsThis schoolManchesterEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years
54th highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester.
Higher than 93% of 16,656 state primary schools in England.
54.6% 48.7%* 26.3%
With an education, health and care plan
118th highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester.
Higher than 42% of 16,656 state primary schools in England.
2.6% 4.8%* 3.5%
Receiving special educational needs support
48th highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester.
Higher than 69% of 16,656 state primary schools in England.
17.3% 15.3%* 15.0%
English as an additional language
11th highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester.
Higher than 98% of 16,656 state primary schools in England.
79.8% 45.9%* 23.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed)
64th lowest of 130 state primary schools in Manchester.
Lower than 37% of 16,640 state primary schools in England.
5.5% 5.6%* 5.2%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more)
69th lowest of 130 state primary schools in Manchester.
Lower than 30% of 16,640 state primary schools in England.
15.6% 15.4%* 13.0%
Suspensions per 100 pupils
Joint 1st lowest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester.
Lower than 69% of 16,651 state primary schools in England.
0.0 2.2 2.5
Pupils suspended at least once
Joint 1st lowest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester.
Lower than 69% of 16,651 state primary schools in England.
0.0% 1.1% 1.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.03% 0.03%
Pupils per teacher
125th highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester.
Higher than 12% of 16,642 state primary schools in England.
16.3 20.6 20.7
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff)
Joint 94th highest of 132 state primary schools in Manchester.
Higher than 23% of 16,653 state primary schools in England.
9.1 10.1 10.6
Teachers who left during the year
117th highest of 130 state primary schools in Manchester.
Higher than 17% of 15,063 state primary schools in England.
1.7% 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.

Nearby primary schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is St Margaret's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

St Margaret's CofE Primary School was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 20 June 2023.

How did St Margaret's CofE Primary School do in its SATs?

In 2024/25, 69% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 7 points above the England average of 62%.

Is St Margaret's CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

For the September 2026 intake, 48 families put St Margaret's CofE Primary School as their first choice for 52 places: about one first-choice application for every place. 48 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.

Sources

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Page updated 26 September 2026.