School Chooser

Manifold Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyChurch of England38 pupilsNurseryBuxtonStaffordshire
School Chooser Score
82
Above
similar schools
Likely range 57 to 94, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 91% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, February 2024
Attendance97.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families5%Far fewer than most schools
Places67 spare38 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher10.3School workforce census
Pupils on roll38Census January 2026

Manifold Church of England Primary School is a converter academy in Buxton for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 38 pupils and room for 105. About 5 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 82 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 91% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Off Leek Road, Warslow, Buxton, SK17 0JP01298 384293manifold.staffs.sch.ukCharlotte Bould headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 20 February 2024, 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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2019

1 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 11Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected levelOfficial name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2019StaffordshireEngland
Pupils tested1

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places41 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
39% full

64 places were empty (61% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. 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 Staffordshire 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 roll38Census January 2026
Places10536% full
Pupils from low-income families5%5% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support8%3 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size9.03 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)5%£3,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls15 / 23
White British pupils100%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (2), language and communications needs (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll384544505551
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals5%0%0%6%11%10%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%4%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%9%12%16%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%0%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance97.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.22024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence2.9%4.4%2.8%5.4%3.9%6.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.2%3.8%2.6%5.2%3.7%6.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%0.5%0.3%0.2%0.2%0.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.7%13.8%2.9%7.1%11.9%12.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.20.06.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers3.7full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher10.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,020
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0

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£10,152England £7,128. Total £467k
Income per pupil£9,717England £7,587. Total £447k
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,957England £3,405
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £65k, £1,418 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£20kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£10,152spent 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 m1412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate35 per 1,000 people61% lower than the England average
Typical house price£226,500Staffordshire Moorlands
Nearest bus stop300 mSt. Lawrence View, 3 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
Hartington CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England3.0 miles22Good 202452Compare
St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.8 miles20Requires improvement 2023Compare
Biggin CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England4.5 miles17Good 20227Compare
Blackshaw Moor CofE First SchoolAcademy4.7 miles67Good 202364Compare
Hollinsclough Church of England AcademyAcademy4.9 miles34Good 202336Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Manifold Church of England Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats91%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 82 is 35 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 47 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Manifold Church of England Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Rushton CofE First SchoolAcademy9.3 miles47No overall grade 202594Compare
Combs Infant SchoolCouncil12.4 miles14No overall grade 202592Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 82 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 82% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 57 to 94. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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 years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 2.6 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.24
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.20
2024/25; 31 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
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 Manifold Church of England Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Manifold Church of England Primary School scores 82 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 91% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 57 to 94, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Manifold Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Manifold Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 20 February 2024.

How many pupils does Manifold Church of England Primary School have?

38 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 36% full.

Is Manifold Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 64 places were empty in 2024/25 (61% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Manifold Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 97.1% 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 Manifold Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 9.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

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

Contact and details

Address
Off Leek Road, Warslow, Buxton, SK17 0JP
Telephone
01298 384293
Website
www.manifold.staffs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Charlotte Bould
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Lichfield
Multi-academy trust
The Moorlands Primary Federation (14 schools)
Local authority
Staffordshire
Ward
Manifold
Constituency
Staffordshire Moorlands
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2015 (academy converter)
URN
142275 · LAESTAB 8603155 · UKPRN 10053776
Formerly
Manifold CofE (VC) Primary School

Where these figures come from