Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 3 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Forester Drive, Stalybridge, SK15 2DPOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery School is a primary school in Stalybridge for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 109 schools in Tameside. It ranks 6th of 9 primary schools in Stalybridge. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 3 July 2023, report published 17 September 2023

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 July 2023

Pupils quickly make new friends at this school. The overwhelming majority of pupils enjoy their learning. They feel safe and happy. A very small number of pupils, parents and carers feel that bullying incidents are not always tackled as well as they should be. However, analysis of leaders' records shows that they take swift action to deal with bullying concerns or unkind behaviour effectively. Senior leaders have high expectations for pupils. They expect them to follow the school's 'Bee' rules and to work hard. Most pupils proudly live up to these expectations. Pupils value the varied opportunities that they have to contribute to school life and to make it the best it can be. They enjoy working as well-being ambassadors, school council representatives and members of the eco-committee. Pupils spoke very proudly about receiving a letter from the King thanking them for their recipe for spinach pastries. They also spoke with enthusiasm about gaining an award in recognition of their work on sustainability. Most parents who shared their views with the inspection team were very positive about the school. They appreciate all that staff do to support pupils and to ensure that they learn well and enjoy school.

What the school should improve

  • The early reading programme is not always implemented as well as it could be. Additionally, a few staff have insufficient knowledge about how best to support struggling readers. As a result, some pupils do not learn to read as fluently as they should. Leaders should ensure that staff receive the support that they need so that the early reading programme is delivered consistently well and that struggling readers are provided with effective help to support them to become confident and fluent readers.
  • In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of development. This means that pupils are sometimes not fully secure in their learning. Leaders should implement plans to improve the curriculum in these subjects so that pupils learn more and remember more over time.
  • A few staff do not always ensure that pupils listen attentively or follow the school rules consistently well. This means that a small number of pupils sometimes make it harder for other pupils to concentrate or to behave as well as they should, particularly in less-structured situations. Leaders should make sure that teachers implement the behaviour policy consistently well so that pupils and parents are fully assured that pupils across school meet leaders' high expectations for their behaviour.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

57 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths60%

60%, 2 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths4%

4%, 4 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score105

105, 1 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score104

104, 1 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score106

106, 1 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

401 pupils on roll, with places for 446

Eligible for free school meals21.7%

21.7%, 4.8 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language11.5%

11.5%, 10.1 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support14.5%

14.5%, 0.3 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan4.5%

4.5%, 1.5 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
St. Peter's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy0.2 milesOfsted: Good76% met the expected standard
Broadbent Fold Primary School and Nursery0.6 milesOfsted: Good77% met the expected standard
St John's CofE Primary School, Dukinfield0.6 milesOfsted: Good83% met the expected standard
St Paul's CofE Primary School, Stalybridge0.7 milesOfsted: Good76% met the expected standard
Dixons Silver Springs Primary0.8 milesOfsted: Good52% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Community school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
3 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Miss Alexandra Flood
Address
Forester Drive, Stalybridge, SK15 2DP
Local authority
Tameside
URN
106188

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.