School Chooser

Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester

Primary · ages 3-11MixedRoman Catholic218 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubManchester
School Chooser Score
95
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 87 to 98
Out of 100. Better than 100% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedOutstandingLast Ofsted inspection, May 2024
Reached the expected level at 1173%England 63%
Attendance95.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families35%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull218 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher20.8School workforce census

Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Manchester for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 218 pupils, 8 more than it has places for. About 35 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 95 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2024.

Denmark Road, Moss Side, Manchester, M15 6JS0161 226 6303holyname.manchester.sch.ukMrs Catherine Gordon headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 May 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1173%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level17%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 70%70%20172018: 63%63%20182019: 57%57%20192023: 57%57%20232024: 63%63%20242025: 73%73%2025
Since 2017: +3%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017ManchesterEngland
Pupils tested302423211623
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths73%63%57%57%63%70%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths17%4%13%5%6%4%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0107.0105.0105.0109.0105.0104.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0109.0107.0104.0106.0108.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0107.0106.0105.0107.0105.0105.4105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard77%92%78%81%100%78%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard83%88%87%62%88%78%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)77%67%57%71%69%70%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.2+5.1+7.2+4.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+6.0+3.1+4.5+6.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged75%55%33%33%56%67%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged72%69%71%75%71%75%

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. 1 of the 3 gaps is 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
75%72%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
86%73%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
25%17%
Gap 8 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. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places184 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
88% full

About 26 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Manchester council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll218Census January 2026
Places210104% full
Pupils from low-income families35%35% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English62%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support7%16 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.38 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)37%£108,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls97 / 121
White British pupils5%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (8), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Specific learning difficulty (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1), emotional and mental health (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll218213224225217214
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals35%33%30%33%35%35%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language62%69%60%60%55%48%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%9%11%12%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%4%2%2%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.6%4.5%4.5%5.6%3.0%3.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.3%4.1%3.9%4.3%2.1%2.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.4%0.4%0.5%1.3%0.9%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.1%8.4%7.7%18.1%6.7%11.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers10.5full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher20.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers91%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£45,441
Teachers who left in the year10%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.82024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£7,396England £7,738. Total £1.6m
Income per pupil£7,411England £7,697. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,237England £3,480
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £29k, £136 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£3,026it took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,396spent 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 m312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate0 per 1,000 people100% lower than the England average
Typical house price£254,000Manchester
Nearest bus stop170 mScience Park, 21 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
Webster Primary SchoolAcademy150 m363No overall grade 202578Compare
Claremont Primary SchoolCouncil870 m568Good 202318Compare
Rolls Crescent Primary SchoolAcademy1000 m325Report card 202639Compare
St Philip's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England0.6 miles173Good 202329Compare
The Divine Mercy Roman Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic0.7 miles406Requires improvement 20244Compare
Heald Place Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles572No overall grade 202413Compare
St Chrysostom's CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England0.7 miles410Report card 202559Compare
St Mary's CofE Junior and Infant SchoolChurch of England0.8 miles470Outstanding 202481Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester with the 45 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 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats100%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 95 is 52 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 7 · middle 43 · highest 94100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 95 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 95% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 87 to 98. 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%in line
+0.06
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%well above
+0.21
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.08
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.03
2024/25; 179 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.09
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 30 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 Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester scores 95 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 87 to 98, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester outstanding at its last full inspection on 8 May 2024.

How good are Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 73% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 17% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester have?

218 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 104% full.

Is Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester oversubscribed?

Probably not. 26 places were empty in 2024/25 (12% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester?

Pupils were in school 95.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester?

The average class had 27.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester 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
Denmark Road, Moss Side, Manchester, M15 6JS
Telephone
0161 226 6303
Website
www.holyname.manchester.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Catherine Gordon
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
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Salford
Local authority
Manchester
Ward
Hulme
Constituency
Manchester Rusholme
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
105516 · LAESTAB 3523408 · UKPRN 10070764

Where these figures come from