School Chooser

Dixons Silver Springs Primary

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy427 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubStalybridgeTameside
School Chooser Score
20
Below
similar schools
Likely range 11 to 36
Out of 100. Better than 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, July 2022
Reached the expected level at 1152%England 63%
Attendance93.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families52%Far more than most schools
Places45 spare427 pupils, 472 places
Pupils per teacher19.0School workforce census

Dixons Silver Springs Primary is a sponsored academy in Stalybridge for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 427 pupils and room for 472. About 52 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 20 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

School Crescent, Stalybridge, SK15 1EA0161 338 2475dixonssp.comDeborah Mason headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 5 July 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

61 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1152%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level5%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score101.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 38%38%20172018: 70%70%20182019: 55%55%20192023: 42%42%20232024: 71%71%20242025: 52%52%2025
Since 2017: +14%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017TamesideEngland
Pupils tested614153584437
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths52%71%42%55%70%38%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths5%10%0%9%2%3%4%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score101.0105.0102.0102.0104.0102.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0105.0101.0106.0105.0102.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0104.0103.0106.0107.0104.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard56%76%57%60%77%57%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard72%85%58%84%80%62%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%76%70%79%80%73%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.9+0.1+1.6+4.1
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.8+3.2+2.5+3.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged57%57%30%53%62%41%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged46%89%60%57%87%33%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
57%46%
Gap 11 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
58%46%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
6%5%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places387 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
92% full

About 33 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 8% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (45 offers for 60 places). 45 families put it down as their first choice and 45 of them got in (100%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60456945100%all offeredLA
2025 Primary60506352100%all offeredLA
2024 Primary60416243100%all offeredLA
2023 Primary60334533100%all offeredLA
2022 Primary60385138100%all offeredLA
2021 Primary6037483797%all offeredLA
2020 Primary6037all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll427Census January 2026
Places47290% full
Pupils from low-income families48%52% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English15%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%70 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan11%47 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.117 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)49%£294,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls243 / 184
White British pupils75%

Specialist SEND provision. SEN unit with 26 pupils, for speech, language and communication.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Tameside with speech, language and communication provision.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.4 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (53), emotional and mental health (31), Moderate learning difficulty (14), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (8), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Specific learning difficulty (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll427417402387395425
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals48%49%45%47%49%50%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language15%13%13%15%13%12%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%20%20%21%22%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%4%2%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school20.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.22024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.1%5.8%6.1%7.3%4.9%5.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.2%3.5%3.7%5.0%3.2%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.9%2.3%2.4%2.2%1.7%1.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence20.8%15.3%20.9%27.3%12.5%15.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.20.00.01.31.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers21.4full-time equivalent, 24 people
Pupils per teacher19.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants23.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,448
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.82024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,145England £7,128. Total £2.8m
Income per pupil£7,449England £7,587. Total £2.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,261England £3,405
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £273k, £693 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£120kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,145spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate0 per 1,000 people100% lower than the England average
Typical house price£215,000Tameside
Nearest bus stop140 mPark Close, 17 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Arlies Primary SchoolCouncil670 m178Good 202319Compare
Inspire AcademyAcademy790 m435Good 202364Compare
Rosehill Methodist Primary AcademyAcademy0.8 miles306Good 202318Compare
Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery SchoolCouncil0.8 miles401Good 202354Compare
St Paul's CofE Primary School, StalybridgeAcademy0.8 miles190Good 202058Compare
St. Peter's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy0.8 miles232Good 202373Compare
Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Primary School, Ashton-under-LyneRoman Catholic0.9 miles235Good 202230Compare
Parochial CofE Primary and Nursery School, Ashton-under-LyneAcademy0.9 miles212Good 202354Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Dixons Silver Springs Primary with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats35%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 20 is 16 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 36 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 20 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 20% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 11 to 36. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.17
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 61 pupils
Ofsted inspection17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.20
DfE progress measure; 61 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.06
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.09
2024/25; 341 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.02
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 61 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Dixons Silver Springs Primary a good school?

The figures are weak. Dixons Silver Springs Primary scores 20 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 11 to 36, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Dixons Silver Springs Primary's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Dixons Silver Springs Primary good at its last full inspection on 5 July 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Dixons Silver Springs Primary's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 52% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Dixons Silver Springs Primary have?

427 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 472 places, so it is 90% full.

Is Dixons Silver Springs Primary oversubscribed?

Probably not. 33 places were empty in 2024/25 (8% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Dixons Silver Springs Primary?

Pupils were in school 93.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Dixons Silver Springs Primary?

The average class had 24.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Dixons Silver Springs Primary have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has sen unit for speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

Does Dixons Silver Springs Primary have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
School Crescent, Stalybridge, SK15 1EA
Telephone
0161 338 2475
Website
www.dixonssp.com
Headteacher
Deborah Mason
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Dixons Academies Trust (21 schools)
Local authority
Tameside
Ward
Stalybridge North
Constituency
Stalybridge and Hyde
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2012 (new provision)
URN
137951 · LAESTAB 3572000 · UKPRN 10037061
Formerly
Ridge Hill Primary School and Nursery

Where these figures come from