St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School

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

Cherry Lane, Sale, M33 4GYOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School is a primary school in Sale for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 101 schools in Trafford. It ranks 16th of 16 primary schools in Sale. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 21 November 2023, report published 13 February 2024

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

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 November 2023

Pupils thoroughly enjoy learning at this school. They appreciate the care and nurture that staff show to them. The school has high expectations for the achievement of all pupils. They benefit from a well-thought-out curriculum. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Pupils' behaviour is exceptional. They model the school's values in all that they do, for example by being kind to one another. Pupils are fully attentive in lessons. They show high levels of respect for each other and staff. At the end of Year 6, pupils leave the school as responsible individuals who are considerate of other people. Pupils benefit from a vast array of experiences, such as visits to a nearby university and a wide choice of clubs. They thrive through many opportunities to develop their leadership skills. For example, older pupils flourish in their roles as buddies. Pupils who act as eco-warriors take their roles seriously by encouraging others to look after the environment. Pupils also raise money so that older members of the local community receive a gift at Christmas. In this way, pupils make a tangible difference to their local community.

What the school should improve

  • In some subjects and areas of learning, the school's choices of what vocabulary to teach do not always support children to know more and remember more. As a result, some pupils are not as well prepared for subsequent learning as they should be. The school should refine its curriculum thinking in these areas so that pupils are fully prepared for the next stage of learning.
  • In a small number of subjects, assessment strategies do not identify gaps in pupils' knowledge sufficiently well. This means that teachers do not have the information that they need to support some pupils to learn as well as they should. The school should strengthen its assessment strategies in these subjects to ensure that gaps in pupils' learning are identified and addressed.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

33 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths55%

55%, 7 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths15%

15%, 7 percentage points above the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score106

106, the same as the England average.

Maths, average scaled score102

102, 3 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score104

104, 1 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

223 pupils on roll, with places for 210

Eligible for free school meals33.2%

33.2%, 6.7 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language35%

35%, 13.4 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support15.2%

15.2%, 0.4 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan4.9%

4.9%, 1.1 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Woodheys Primary School0.4 milesOfsted: Good75% met the expected standard
Tyntesfield Primary School0.5 milesOfsted judgements: Outstanding84% met the expected standard
Firs Primary School0.6 milesOfsted judgements: Good to outstanding72% met the expected standard
Broadheath Primary School0.7 milesOfsted: Good79% met the expected standard
Park Road Academy Primary School0.9 milesOfsted: Outstanding90% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Voluntary aided school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
3 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Miss Aine Flynn
Address
Cherry Lane, Sale, M33 4GY
Local authority
Trafford
URN
106359

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.