St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 4 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Bolton Old Road, Atherton, Manchester, M46 9FDOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton is a primary school in Manchester for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 136 schools in Wigan. It ranks 93rd of 250 primary schools in Manchester. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 8 November 2023, report published 14 December 2023

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

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 November 2023

Pupils at St Philip's CofE Primary School live out the school's motto of 'together, we achieve'. The school has high expectations of pupils. Teachers ensure that most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), succeed. Pupils are attentive in lessons, and they work hard. As a result, pupils typically achieve well across a range of subjects. Pupils concentrate in lessons, and there is little disruption. Pupils are confident that teachers will swiftly resolve any concerns or worries they may have. The school is built on a strong culture of respect for others. Pupils are kind and caring towards one another. They told inspectors that they feel happy and safe in school. Pupils benefit from an excellent programme of personal development. Teachers nurture pupils' individual talents and interests exceedingly well. Pupils delight in the vast array of high-quality enrichment activities that the school offers. For example, pupils are keen to attend garden crafts, dance class and culture clubs. The school carefully designs and schedules trips, visits and outdoor learning activities to enhance the curriculum. These opportunities add considerable value to pupils' learning and development. This includes those pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged. Pupils have plentiful opportunities to foster their talents and interests far beyond the academic curriculum.

What the school should improve

  • A small number of teachers do not design the most appropriate activities to help pupils, including a few pupils with SEND, to learn new knowledge. This means that, from time to time, some pupils do not learn all that they could. The school should ensure that teachers are suitably trained to design learning activities that enable pupils, including those with SEND, to develop a consistently deep and rich body of subject knowledge.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

59 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths71%

71%, 9 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths2%

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

Reading, average scaled score107

107, 1 above the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score106

106, 1 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score107

107, 2 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

397 pupils on roll, with places for 420

Eligible for free school meals15.6%

15.6%, 10.9 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language7.1%

7.1%, 14.5 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support15.6%

15.6%, 0.8 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan2.3%

2.3%, 3.7 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Chowbent Primary School0.1 milesOfsted: Good36% met the expected standard
Meadowbank Primary School0.4 milesOfsted: Good70% met the expected standard
St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School Atherton0.5 milesReport card: Needs attention to expected standard54% met the expected standard
Parklee Primary School0.5 milesOfsted judgements: Good to outstandingNot published
Atherton St George's CofE Primary School0.7 milesOfsted: Good56% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Voluntary aided school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Miss L Rigby
Address
Bolton Old Road, Atherton, Manchester, M46 9FD
Local authority
Wigan
URN
106515

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.