St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw
About St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw, is a small state primary in Bury that punches above its weight academically. It sits 4th out of 46 primary schools in the local authority, placing it comfortably in the top 10% of its LA. The three schools ahead of it are Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary, Sunny Bank Primary, and Chantlers Primary, all of which score higher on the same ranking metric. With just 95 pupils on a capacity of 105, St Mary's is a genuinely intimate setting, and its Church of England character gives it a distinct identity within the Bury landscape. The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 29 applications for 12 places, with 11 of those coming as first preferences. That level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, and the 2.42 oversubscription ratio means families need to be prepared to apply early.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 60 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
12 Nov 2024From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.
Source: Ofsted, 12 Dec 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
6Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
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