School Chooser

St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic211 pupilsManchesterRochdale
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredThere isn't enough published data yet. To get a score, a school needs results or an inspection plus at least one other figure.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, February 2024
Reached the expected level at 1159%England 63%
Attendance94.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families25%About the same as most schools in England
PlacesFull211 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher26.4School workforce census

St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is a converter academy in Manchester for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 211 pupils, 1 more than it has places for. About 25 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Stanycliffe Lane, Middleton, Manchester, M24 2PB0161 643 3271stjohnfisher.stoccat.org.ukMrs Nicole Hadfield headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 7 February 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

29 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. These are the results of St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, Rochdale, the school this one replaced.

Reached the expected level at 1159%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
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: 37%37%20172018: 57%57%20182019: 59%59%20192023: 55%55%20232024: 31%31%20242025: 59%59%2025
Since 2017: +22%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025†2024†2023†2019†2018†2017†RochdaleEngland
Pupils tested293229273030
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths59%31%55%59%57%37%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%3%4%3%3%4%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0103.0105.0105.0105.0101.0104.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0101.0103.0104.0102.0100.0103.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0102.0104.0105.0105.0102.0105.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard83%53%83%78%73%53%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard66%50%69%78%67%50%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)62%66%69%78%77%77%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.5+1.2+0.5-1.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.4-0.9-1.2-3.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged63%18%38%67%20%0%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged57%38%62%57%75%48%

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 John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, Rochdale, the school this one replaced in November 2025. 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. 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
63%57%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
63%54%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
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.

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 Rochdale council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll211Census January 2026
Places210100% full
Pupils from low-income families25%25% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English14%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%27 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.17 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils43%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)24%£79,050 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls107 / 104
White British pupils72%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (14), Moderate learning difficulty (5), Specific learning difficulty (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Other difficulty or disability (2), emotional and mental health (2).

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Missed without permission1.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/25†2023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.0%6.1%5.5%5.9%3.1%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.3%4.2%3.9%4.5%2.4%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.7%1.9%1.5%1.5%0.6%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.1%17.2%13.6%10.3%5.5%4.0%12.8%

† These attendance figures are for St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, Rochdale, the school this one replaced in November 2025. 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.

Teachers8.0full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher26.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£54,227
Vacancies0

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£6,393England £7,738. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£6,676England £7,697. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,733England £3,480
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £150k, £714 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£59kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,393spent 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£207,000Rochdale
Nearest bus stop130 mBoarshaw Road, 24 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
Boarshaw Community Primary SchoolCouncil90 m446Good 202233Compare
Hollin Primary SchoolCouncil610 m331Good 202448Compare
Middleton Parish Church SchoolAcademy0.7 miles432No overall grade 2025Compare
Elm Wood Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles453Good 20249Compare
St Gabriel's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.0 miles230Good 202455Compare
Mills Hill Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles604Report card 202631Compare
St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, RochdaleRoman Catholic1.1 miles213No overall grade 202565Compare
Parkfield Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles212Good 202332Compare

Questions parents ask

Is St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy a good school?

St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in February 2024.

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

Ofsted rated St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy good at its last full inspection on 7 February 2024.

How good are St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 59% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have?

211 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 100% full.

What is attendance like at St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

The average class had 30.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 43% 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
Stanycliffe Lane, Middleton, Manchester, M24 2PB
Telephone
0161 643 3271
Website
www.stjohnfisher.stoccat.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Nicole Hadfield
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Salford
Multi-academy trust
St Teresa Of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust (27 schools)
Local authority
Rochdale
Ward
North Middleton
Constituency
Heywood and Middleton North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 November 2025 (academy converter)
URN
151820 · LAESTAB 3545203 · UKPRN 10098045
Formerly
St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, Rochdale

Where these figures come from