School Chooser

St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic339 pupilsNurseryManchesterBury
School Chooser Score
71
Above
similar schools
Likely range 42 to 88, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 45% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, February 2020
Reached the expected level at 1174%England 63%
Attendance96.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families4%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull339 pupils, 315 places
Pupils per teacher23.2School workforce census

St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is a converter academy in Manchester for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 339 pupils, 24 more than it has places for. About 4 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 71 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 45% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2020.

Abingdon Avenue, Whitefield, Manchester, M45 8PT0161 766 6098stbernadetteswhitefield.stoccat.org.ukMr David Proctor headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 4 February 2020, 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 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1174%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
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: 63%63%20172018: 80%80%20182019: 61%61%20192023: 81%81%20232024: 73%73%20242025: 74%74%2025
Since 2017: +11%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024†2023†2019†2018†2017†BuryEngland
Pupils tested424443444430
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths74%73%81%61%80%63%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%2%9%14%7%3%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0106.0108.0105.0107.0102.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0105.0106.0105.0106.0103.0105.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0106.0107.0107.0108.0107.0105.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard86%86%91%73%93%70%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard88%86%86%84%91%80%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)81%84%88%80%84%77%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.0+0.8+1.5-1.9
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.5+0.0+0.0-1.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged76%64%

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.

† These results are for St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, Whitefield, the school this one replaced in June 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. Every gap at this school 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 11Boys vs girls
74%74%
No gapEngland 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.

Nearly full304 pupils for 315 places, 2024/25
97% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference.

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 Bury 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 roll339Census January 2026
Places315108% full
Pupils from low-income families4%4% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English10%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support6%20 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.211 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils9%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)4%£20,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls166 / 173
White British pupils84%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (16), emotional and mental health (7), Moderate learning difficulty (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025
Pupils on roll339334
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals4%4%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language10%9%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.7%4.2%4.4%4.8%2.1%2.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%3.5%3.5%4.2%1.8%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%0.7%0.9%0.6%0.3%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.0%7.3%11.1%9.6%1.9%2.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0

† These attendance figures are for St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, Whitefield, the school this one replaced in June 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers14.6full-time equivalent, 18 people
Pupils per teacher23.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants10.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,810
Teachers who left in the year7%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.82024/25

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£5,979England £7,128. Total £2.0m
Income per pupil£6,180England £7,587. Total £2.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,090England £3,405
Money in reserve0%In the red: -£6,543, -£20 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£67kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,979spent 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

Typical house price£248,905Bury
Nearest bus stop160 mLeslie Avenue, 11 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
All Saints Church of England Primary School, StandChurch of England410 m208Good 202332Compare
Sunny Bank Primary SchoolAcademy530 m215Good 202392Compare
Unsworth Primary SchoolAcademy730 m232Good 202378Compare
Ribble Drive Community Primary SchoolAcademy0.6 miles189Good 201919Compare
Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary SchoolJewish0.7 miles103Report card 202623Compare
St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyAcademy0.8 miles202Report card 202643Compare
Mersey Drive Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles203Good 202436Compare
Hollins Grundy Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles211Good 202364Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats45%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 71 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 12 · middle 72 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy, 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
St Michael's Church of England Primary School, BamfordChurch of England4.4 miles228Outstanding 202494Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 71 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 71% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 42 to 88. 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 years25%above
+0.14
2025 results; 42 pupils
Ofsted inspection11% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 6.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.02
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 42 pupils
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.14
2024/25; 261 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 42 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 St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy scores 71 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 45% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 42 to 88, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy good at its last full inspection on 4 February 2020. 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 St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 74% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have?

339 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 315 places, so it is 108% full.

Is St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

Pupils were in school 96.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

The average class had 28.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 9% of classes 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
Abingdon Avenue, Whitefield, Manchester, M45 8PT
Telephone
0161 766 6098
Website
www.stbernadetteswhitefield.stoccat.org.uk
Headteacher
Mr David Proctor
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Salford
Multi-academy trust
St Teresa Of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust (27 schools)
Local authority
Bury
Ward
Unsworth
Constituency
Bury South
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 June 2024 (academy converter)
URN
150560 · LAESTAB 3513341 · UKPRN 10094553
Formerly
St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, Whitefield

Where these figures come from