St Philip's Church of England Primary School

About St Philip's Church of England Primary School

St Philip's Church of England Primary School is a small, popular primary in Manchester that parents clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 36 applications for just 8 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.5 to one. That means for every place available, more than four families applied. All 8 first-preference offers were taken up, so if you're considering this school, it pays to put it top of your list. The school currently has 187 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, so there is a little headroom, but demand is strong. Headteacher Gavin Shortall leads a Church of England school that was rated Good in its most recent graded inspection back in 2014, and an ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed it remains Good. The previous inspection in 2007 had rated it Outstanding overall, so the school has held a strong reputation for some time.

Academically, the picture is mixed. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 43% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Manchester local authority average of 57%. The school ranks 109th out of 122 primary schools in the local authority on this measure, placing it in the bottom half nationally. Breaking it down, reading saw 67% at expected and 7% at the higher standard, while maths had 60% at expected and 27% at the higher standard. Writing was weaker, with only 50% at expected and 7% at the higher level. Average scores were 100 in reading and 102 in maths. The school's progress scores are not available, so it's hard to say how much value the school adds, but the raw attainment figures suggest that while many children meet the expected standard, fewer than average in Manchester do so across all three subjects.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, library, chapel, art studios and music rooms. Clubs include science, art, gardening, coding and book club, and sports on offer are football, cricket, rounders and swimming. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and physical disability. With 37.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse community. It's a Church of England school but open to all. Given its oversubscription, it's best suited to families who live close enough to secure a place, and who are comfortable with a school where academic outcomes are below the local average but where the wider provision and community feel are strong.

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