Elm Wood Primary School

About Elm Wood Primary School

Elm Wood Primary School sits well below the Rochdale local authority average for Key Stage 2 performance, with just 37% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined against a borough average of 58%. That gap of 21 percentage points places the school in the bottom half of primary schools in the area, ranked 49th out of 52. The school’s ranking score of 37 puts it firmly in the bottom 50 nationally, and its percentile position of 94.2% within Rochdale means only three local primaries sit lower. For parents looking at headline metrics, this is a school where outcomes are notably weaker than most of its neighbours. That said, the picture is not uniformly flat — the school’s reading average score of 100 is exactly in line with the national expectation, and its writing expected standard of 60% is actually the strongest of the three core subjects, suggesting some areas of relative strength.

The most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024 rated Elm Wood Primary as Good overall, with a notable Outstanding grade for early years provision — a jump from the Requires Improvement it received in that category back in 2014. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management all came out as Good. At Key Stage 2, the maths average score of 98 is slightly below the national benchmark, and only 5% of pupils reached the higher standard in maths. Reading fared a little better, with 6% hitting the higher threshold, while writing saw just 2% achieve that level. The school’s Progress 8 data is not available, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. However, with 35.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals — well above the national average — the school is serving a community with higher-than-typical disadvantage, which often correlates with lower raw attainment figures.

Elm Wood is a two-form entry primary with nursery provision for children from age two, and it was oversubscribed for 2025/26, receiving 99 applications for 50 places, with 47 first-preference offers made. The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, playing fields, a gymnasium, and a forest school, plus clubs such as art, chess, science and gardening. Its SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families in Rochdale who prioritise a school with strong early years care, a Good Ofsted rating, and a wide net of additional support, Elm Wood is a practical choice — though those focused squarely on academic outcomes at age 11 may want to look at higher-performing local options such as All Souls or Hollin Primary.

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