Arden Primary School

About Arden Primary School

Arden Primary School sits within Stockport local authority, a borough with 86 primary schools of which seven hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The school itself ranks 46th out of 67 primaries in Stockport on the key stage 2 expected standard measure, placing it in the bottom half of the local league table. Among its closest competitors in the area, the top-performing peers are Gatley Primary School, St John's Church of England Primary School, and Bradshaw Hall Primary School, all of which score significantly higher on the same ranking metric. The nearest Outstanding-rated school to Arden is Alexandra Park Primary School, roughly four kilometres away. For parents weighing up options within Stockport, Arden sits in a competitive landscape where a handful of schools pull ahead on academic measures, but it remains a solidly performing state primary serving a diverse catchment.

Academically, Arden's most recent key stage 2 results from the 2023/24 academic year show 52 per cent of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is ten percentage points below the Stockport local authority average of 62 per cent. In individual subjects, reading saw 70 per cent at expected and 22 per cent at the higher standard; writing had 80 per cent at expected but only 5 per cent at the higher level; maths recorded 62 per cent at expected and 14 per cent at the higher standard. Average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 103 in maths. The school's Ofsted rating is Good, upgraded from Requires Improvement in its previous graded inspection in 2016. An ungraded inspection in July 2024 confirmed the school remains Good, with leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all judged Good.

Arden is a three-to-eleven mixed primary with nursery provision and capacity for 670 pupils, currently home to 514 children. It is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake: 108 applications for 56 places, with 55 first-preference offers made. The school serves a community where 32.1 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Facilities include a library, ICT suite, gymnasium, music rooms, and a chapel. Sports on offer are cricket, football, swimming, gymnastics, and netball, while clubs range from gardening and art to coding and science. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families looking for a well-resourced primary with strong SEND support in a competitive local area.

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