St Mary's CofE Primary School

About St Mary's CofE Primary School

St Mary's CofE Primary School in Salford posts a combined reading, writing and maths expected standard score of 72 per cent, which sits comfortably above the local authority average of 61 per cent for primary schools. That eleven-point gap places the school 14th out of 65 primaries in Salford, putting it in the top quarter of the borough. It's a solid, above-average performer rather than an outlier at the very top — the three highest-ranked peers in the LA all score 84 or above — but for families looking for a church school that delivers reliably better results than the typical Salford primary, St Mary's makes a strong case. The school's most recent graded Ofsted inspection, back in 2016, rated it Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. An ungraded inspection in 2021 confirmed the school remains Good, so the current rating has held steady for some time. That's a meaningful improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2014, when it was rated Requires Improvement.

Digging into the 2023/24 KS2 results, the picture is one of solid foundations with room to stretch the most able. Reading and maths average scaled scores sit at 106 and 105 respectively, both above the national benchmark of 100. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading is 90 per cent, in maths 86 per cent, and in writing 76 per cent — the writing figure is the one that pulls the combined measure down a little. At the higher standard, the school sees 14 per cent of pupils reaching greater depth in reading, 10 per cent in maths, and just 3 per cent in both writing and the combined reading, writing and maths measure. That's an area where ambitious families might want to see more, though it's not unusual for a primary of this size and intake. With 31 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage, so achieving above the LA average on the combined measure is a genuine achievement.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 32 applications for 23 places and 21 first-preference offers made, so it's a popular choice locally. Facilities include a forest school, chapel, music rooms, library and playing fields, and the sports offer covers swimming, football, gymnastics, athletics, rounders, tennis and cross country. Clubs include eco club, gardening and choir. SEND provision is broad, covering moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, hearing and visual impairment, physical disability and other difficulties. There is nursery provision for children from age three. St Mary's is a Church of England school with a clear religious character, and its headteacher is Jo McGarry. For families in Salford who want a Good-rated primary with above-average outcomes, a strong sense of community and a faith-based setting, this is a school that delivers without fuss.

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