The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
This is a compact, co-educational prep in Monton, serving children from age 3 to 11, with an explicit focus on preparing pupils for selective senior school entry. Its size is a genuine feature rather than a footnote; the latest inspection records 142 pupils on roll, so families should expect a setting where staff can keep close track of individuals and routines.
Leadership is current. Mrs Tanya Davie became headteacher in September 2024, and the most recent Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) routine inspection took place in June 2025, giving parents a recent external snapshot under the current team.
For many families, the most practical indicator of “does it do what it says” is where children go at 11. The school publishes outcomes for senior school entry tests, including scholarship awards, and the latest published cohort data shows a high offer rate across a spread of Greater Manchester independent and grammar destinations.
The school’s own language stresses manners, inclusion, and a structured culture, with an emphasis on punctuality, appearance, and presentation of work. That tends to translate into a prep that feels purposeful on weekdays, particularly in the older year groups where senior school preparation becomes more visible in homework habits and assessment routines.
A useful lens here is the way the school is organised. The inspection describes three sections: early years (ages 3 to 5), lower school (5 to 7), and upper school (7 to 11). This matters because it often affects how children experience the transition from play-based learning into more formal study. Parents looking for a gentle early start but a clear ramp-up by Key Stage 2 will recognise that structure.
Diversity appears in the pupil profile. The June 2025 inspection notes the school has identified 52 pupils as having English as an additional language (EAL), and that 14 pupils are identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), with no pupils holding an Education, Health and Care plan. For families new to the UK system, or relocating into the Manchester area mid-year, that combination can be reassuring if they want a setting used to onboarding pupils with differing starting points.
As an independent prep, the most meaningful published outcomes here are senior school entrance results rather than Key Stage 2 SATs metrics. The school posts cohort-by-cohort summaries of offers and scholarships for independent and grammar schools.
For the 2024 to 2025 cohort, the school reports 19 candidates taking 35 exams, receiving 34 offers, described as a 97% success rate, alongside 12 scholarships in total (with examples of scholarship categories listed across academic, headteacher, music, maths, science, drama, sport, and foundation awards). The destination list for that cohort includes Bolton School (boys and girls), Bury Grammar School, The Manchester Grammar School, Manchester High School for Girls, Withington Girls’ School, and others.
What that implies for parents is simple: the school appears to be running a consistent preparation pipeline for competitive entry at 11, with evidence that pupils are securing places, and in a meaningful minority of cases, awards as well as offers.
Curriculum breadth is explicitly referenced in the latest ISI report, which notes leaders review the curriculum annually and mathematics. That combination is typical of preps that want pupils to be strong generalists while still meeting the specific demands of entrance examinations.
Support for EAL is described in practical classroom terms, including resources such as topic word cards and writing frames to build subject vocabulary and confidence in communication. This is not just a pastoral point; it affects how quickly pupils can access the full curriculum, especially in humanities and science where language load is high.
One improvement point is also clearly signposted. The June 2025 inspection recommends ensuring the quality of teaching is consistently high across the school, so that pupils learn as well as possible. For parents, that is usually a prompt to ask good questions at visit stage: how does the school coach staff, how is teaching quality checked, and how does it respond when a cohort needs a different approach.
For a prep that finishes at 11, destination outcomes are the headline. The most recent published cohort (2024 to 2025) shows offers across a mix of independent and selective schools, with multiple pupils receiving offers from Bolton School (boys and girls) and several Manchester independents.
The same cohort report also includes Trafford grammar outcomes, listing 7 places offered across Sale Grammar School and Urmston Grammar School (with a note that 4 Form 6 pupils did not take any independent grammar school examinations that year). For families targeting Trafford grammars, this is useful because it indicates the school is tracking that route separately rather than bundling it into broader “success” messaging.
The practical implication is that the school seems to support multiple pathways at 11, independent selective entry and grammar routes, rather than only steering families in one direction.
Entry is described as flexible, with places considered at an appropriate age and applications beginning with an initial approach to the bursar, followed by a visit and discussion with the headteacher. For children entering Form 1 and above, the school also references a full taster day prior to starting, after the headteacher meeting.
Open day information is published in a light-touch way. The school states the next open day is scheduled for the spring term, with details to be provided online in January, and encourages families to register interest to be kept updated. Because specific dates can change year to year, families should treat this as a sign of typical timing rather than rely on a single calendar date, and check the school’s admissions updates close to the point of booking.
If you are shortlisting several local options, this is a good moment to use FindMySchool’s Saved Schools feature to track visit dates, registration milestones, and decision points in one place, especially if you are also considering Trafford grammar testing alongside independent entrance exams.
Pastoral support looks structured around routine and familiarity, which matters in a small school. The after-school provision, The Beehive, is staffed by team members pupils already know through other roles in school, and it includes time and help for homework as well as planned activities.
Safeguarding is addressed clearly in the latest ISI routine inspection, which states safeguarding standards are met, and describes governance oversight of safeguarding arrangements. Parents will still want to understand how online safety is handled at different ages, but the compliance baseline is recent.
For pupils with additional needs, the inspection’s profile data is relevant: 14 pupils are identified as having SEND, with none holding an EHC plan. In practice, this typically suits children whose needs can be met through in-school support and adjustments, rather than those requiring a formal plan and external resourcing.
Outdoor learning is a distinctive thread. The Forest School programme is described as fortnightly sessions that include activities such as campfire cooking, den building, mini beast hunts, and natural arts and crafts. For younger children in particular, that kind of structured outdoor curriculum can be a strong complement to classroom literacy and numeracy.
Environmental action is also given an explicit channel through Eco School activity and pupil-led initiatives. The school references Eco-Schools and the Green Flag award framework, and its news updates describe committee-led priorities such as litter, energy, and school grounds.
Music looks more detailed than a generic “we do music” claim. The curriculum page describes weekly music lessons from KG1 to Form 6, alongside ensembles such as recorder group, string group, guitar group, brass group, and choir. On the sport and activity side, the school describes termly staples including football, netball, judo, gymnastics, and dance, plus shorter rotations such as Lego club, fencing sessions, and yoga classes.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per term
Hours are clearly signposted. The school day starts at 8.30am, with registration at 8.35am, and home time is staggered from 3.00pm (KG1) to 3.30pm (Form 6).
Wraparound is available at both ends of the day. Morning Club starts at 8.00am and is described as free of charge, and after-school care runs through The Beehive from 3.00pm to 6.00pm on school days. During school holidays, the school site hosts holiday clubs run by School of Play, with activities ranging from arts and crafts to sports games.
For travel, the school’s Monton setting suits families looking for a local, driveable prep rather than a rail-commuter model. The site also publishes guidance focused on safe vehicle movement during drop-off and collection, which is worth reading if you expect to drive daily.
Fees for 2025 to 2026 are published per term. The day fee for KG2 to Form 6 is £3,597.00 per term, with lunches listed separately at £216.25 per term. Nursery-age pricing is published by the school, but families should check the official fees page for the early years detail and any eligibility interactions with funded hours.
The school also reports scholarship outcomes within its senior school results reporting, including a total of 12 scholarships in the 2024 to 2025 cohort. That does not automatically translate into fee reduction at the prep stage, but it does indicate experience supporting scholarship applications for senior schools.
Teaching consistency. The latest inspection includes a recommended next step focused on making teaching quality consistently high across the school. For many families this is a prompt to ask how lessons are monitored and how quickly support is put in place if a child is not thriving in a particular class.
Senior school preparation can raise the pace. With published outcomes tied to selective senior school entry, older pupils may experience a more assessment-aware culture than families expect at 9 to 11. This can suit motivated children, but some may prefer a less exam-focused end of primary.
Fees plus extras. Published termly fees do not include lunches, and families should budget for the wider set of costs that often sit around prep education, such as uniform and optional activities.
Open day dates are not fixed far ahead. The school signals spring term open days with details released nearer the time, so parents who like to plan early should register interest and keep an eye on updates.
This is best viewed as a focused, small-scale prep for families who value close oversight, clear routines, and a tangible track record at 11 plus destinations. The published senior school outcomes, including scholarships, suggest the preparation pathway is working for many pupils, and the recent inspection timing gives reassurance that the external picture is current.
Who it suits: families in and around Monton and Salford who want a prep that actively supports selective senior school routes, and whose child will respond well to structure and steady expectations.
It has a recent inspection record and a clear senior school outcomes focus. The June 2025 ISI routine inspection states that standards were met across the areas inspected, including safeguarding. The school also publishes destination outcomes at 11, with the latest cohort report showing a high offer rate across independent and grammar routes.
Fees are published per term for 2025 to 2026. Day fees for KG2 to Form 6 are £3,597.00 per term, with lunches listed separately. Early years pricing is also published by the school, and families should check the official fees page for the correct age band detail.
Yes, it offers early years provision from age 3. Children move through an early years stage before progressing into the lower and upper school structure that runs through to age 11.
The school publishes a destination list that includes a mix of Manchester and Greater Manchester independent and selective schools. Recent published outcomes include offers to schools such as Bolton School (boys and girls), Bury Grammar School, The Manchester Grammar School, Manchester High School for Girls, and Withington Girls’ School, alongside Trafford grammar offers.
Morning Club is described as running from 8.00am, and after-school care operates through The Beehive until 6.00pm on school days. Holiday club provision is also hosted on site during school holidays through an external provider.
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