St Philip's RC Primary School

About St Philip's RC Primary School

St Philip's RC Primary School in Salford is a Roman Catholic state primary for children aged 3 to 11, and it is noticeably oversubscribed. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 69 applications for 44 places, with 43 of those coming as first preferences, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.57. That demand makes sense when you look at the numbers: the school currently has 362 pupils against a capacity of 315, so it is running well above its official limit. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 14.9%, which is below the national average for primary schools, suggesting a relatively less deprived intake compared with many schools in Salford. The school also has a nursery provision, so families can start their children here from age three, and it is one of only nine primary schools in the local authority rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

Academically, St Philip's performs strongly. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the Salford local authority average of 61%. The school ranks 8th out of 65 primary schools in the borough, placing it in the top 25% nationally. Individual subject scores are solid: 93% met the expected standard in reading, 91% in writing, and 89% in maths. At the higher standard, 18% of pupils achieved the top marks across all three subjects, with reading leading at 41% and maths at 34%. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2023, the school received Outstanding grades across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. That is a clean sweep, and it matches the Outstanding rating it held in its previous inspection in 2007.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sensory room, music rooms, a gymnasium, a dining hall and a chapel, and runs clubs such as drama, gardening, art, eco and film. Sports on offer include netball, rounders, swimming, gymnastics, tennis and cross country. For children with additional needs, the school has identified provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With its strong academic results, faith character and clear oversubscription, St Philip's is a popular choice for Catholic families in Salford, particularly those living within a reasonable distance of the school. The nearest other Outstanding-rated primary is St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School, 1.8 km away, so competition for places at this school is likely to remain high.

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