Higher Lane Primary School

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 3 to 11
Report card: Needs attention to strong standard

Egerton Road, Whitefield, Manchester, M45 7EXOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Higher Lane Primary School is a primary school in Manchester for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 90 schools in Bury. It ranks 96th of 250 primary schools in Manchester. Its latest Ofsted outcome is a report card, from an inspection in December 2025.

Ofsted report card

Inspected 3 December 2025, report published 8 February 2026

Each area is graded from urgent improvement to exceptional, and safeguarding is either met or not met.

Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Early years
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 December 2025

Parents, carers, staff and pupils agree that Higher Lane Primary School is a happy place to learn. Each day, staff welcome pupils warmly as they arrive. Pupils attend regularly because they recognise the importance of learning. Staff actively support pupils' wellbeing and take time to understand them as individuals, including any barriers that they have to learning. This helps pupils to feel safe and valued. Pupils enjoy learning and typically achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave the school. However, their progress in some other subjects is less secure. When this is the case, pupils do not retain and recall enough of their learning over time. Leaders have introduced positive changes to the curriculum, but in some subjects, pupils struggle to build new knowledge effectively. Pupils take great pride in belonging to the Higher Lane family. From the early years, they form trusting and supportive relationships with staff. Staff encourage pupils to grow into curious and confident learners. Pupils learn that their voice matters and they trust staff to respond quickly, when they raise concerns. Bullying is rare. Staff ensure that pupils know how to recognise it and how to access support, when they need it. Pupils demonstrate an impressive understanding of the world around them. This prepares them very well for life in modern Britain because they value and celebrate difference. The school provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils to showcase and develop their talents, including regular musical performances and sports competitions. Pupils are active in the local community and learn the value of helping and considering others. The school provides excellent support that enables all pupils to be able to benefit from the offer in place. For example, pupils who need it receive highly effective help to develop their resilience and confidence.

What the school should improve

  • Leaders should strengthen teachers' use of assessment across the wider curriculum to inform future teaching, to support pupils to know and remember more over time.
  • Leaders should ensure that staff provide appropriate support to pupils to improve their writing and letter formation, so that all pupils can communicate their knowledge effectively and achieve well across the curriculum.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

68 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths62%

62%, the same as the England average.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths6%

6%, 2 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score108

108, 2 above the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score106

106, 1 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score108

108, 3 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

491 pupils on roll, with places for 420

Eligible for free school meals16.9%

16.9%, 9.6 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language12.6%

12.6%, 9 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support10.6%

10.6%, 4.2 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan5.1%

5.1%, 0.9 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Higher Lane Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Whitefield Community Primary School0.4 milesOfsted: Good63% met the expected standard
Ribble Drive Community Primary School0.6 milesOfsted: Good56% met the expected standard
Our Lady of Grace RC Primary School0.6 milesOfsted: Good71% met the expected standard
St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy0.7 milesReport card: Needs attention to strong standard58% met the expected standard
Heaton Park Primary School0.8 milesOfsted: Good67% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy converter
Sector
Academy
Trust
VISION MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Age range
3 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Mr Ian Tetlow
Address
Egerton Road, Whitefield, Manchester, M45 7EX
Local authority
Bury
URN
144575

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.