St Margaret Mary’s RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Review 2026: High-achieving Catholic primary with an ambitious reading culture

Academic performance is the headline here. In the most recent published Key Stage 2 results, almost nine in ten pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, comfortably above England averages. The school also has a notably high proportion achieving the higher standard, which suggests strong stretch for the most able as well as secure basics for the majority.

This is a Catholic primary serving New Moston, with Nursery provision from age 3 through to Year 6, and it is now part of the Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust. Leadership is stable and clearly visible, with Mr Matthew Sutton named as headteacher, and the school’s wider structure includes deputy and assistant headship roles, plus a designated SENDCo.

A key practical point for families is admissions. Nursery entry is handled directly with the school, while Reception entry is coordinated by the local authority and follows the Manchester timetable for September 2026 places, including a 15 January 2026 deadline and offers on 16 April 2026.

The school’s Catholic identity is central rather than decorative. A visible emphasis on faith and service runs alongside a modern interpretation of British values, and pupils are encouraged to take responsibility through leadership roles and ambassador style opportunities. That matters in day-to-day culture, because it tends to create a shared language for behaviour, kindness, and community contribution.

Pupil leadership is unusually structured for a primary. Alongside the standard class responsibilities, there are named groups that shape school life. The Reading Council (with Reading Ambassadors in Year 6) is involved in practical decisions such as developing the library, selecting books for the reading scheme, and even designing a book vending machine, which signals that reading is treated as a whole-school priority, not just a curriculum subject.

The G.I.F.T. Team adds a faith-and-service strand. Its published work includes planning collective worship and organising charity support, with examples ranging from Advent collections for Cornerstone to CAFOD-linked fundraising and a Walk Against Hunger challenge. For parents, the implication is a school that takes Catholic social teaching seriously, and provides structured routes for pupils to act on it.

Pastoral tone also comes through in how the school describes pupil wellbeing and personal development. In the latest inspection evidence available for the predecessor school, pupils reported feeling happy and proud, behaviour was calm, and older pupils were keen to contribute as leaders, monitors, or ambassadors. That combination, responsibility plus reassurance, tends to suit children who like clear routines and enjoy having a role to play in the wider community.

The published figures suggest a school performing well above England averages at the end of primary. In 2024, 89.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 38% achieved greater depth across reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. These are strikingly strong outcomes for a state primary.

Reading and maths scaled scores reinforce the picture. Reading was 108 and maths was 108, both comfortably above typical national benchmarks for scaled scores. Grammar, punctuation and spelling was also strong at 112.

For families comparing options across the city, the FindMySchool rankings provide another lens on the same performance. The school is ranked 737th in England for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 15th among Manchester primaries, placing it well above England average overall, in the top 10% of schools in England on this measure. Families can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to place these outcomes alongside nearby schools in a like-for-like view.

A useful nuance is the balance between expected standard and higher standard. Some high-performing primaries lift the headline expected figure without moving the top end. Here, the higher-standard figure is also strong, which usually points to coherent curriculum sequencing, effective teaching routines, and consistent assessment practice across year groups.

Curriculum quality is best understood through two threads: sequencing, and early reading. The available inspection evidence for the predecessor school describes a redesigned curriculum that sets out a logical order of learning from Nursery through Year 6, with teachers checking pupils’ understanding regularly before moving on. The practical implication is fewer gaps left to compound over time, which is often what separates good primary outcomes from genuinely strong ones.

Reading sits at the centre. The same evidence highlights high-quality literature and a culture where pupils enjoy being read to, choose books confidently, and develop the fluency needed to access the wider curriculum. There is also a clear phonics approach in the early years and Key Stage 1, described as being followed consistently by staff across the school. For parents, that normally translates into faster early confidence, fewer children stuck at decoding, and more capacity for comprehension and writing later on.

The school’s own pupil leadership structures reinforce this teaching focus. A Reading Council that helps shape the library, reading scheme choices, and reading promotions tends to make reading social. Children see peers championing books rather than reading being something done only for adult approval.

It is also worth noting the school’s improvement mindset. The published inspection evidence identifies that a small number of curriculum areas were newer and still being embedded, with an emphasis on staff expertise in helping pupils recall key knowledge before introducing new learning. Parents should read that as a targeted next step, not a general weakness.

As a primary school, the key transition is to secondary. The school’s Catholic character often shapes family choices at this point, with some parents prioritising Catholic secondary pathways, and others choosing on distance, sibling links, or particular academic and pastoral fit.

The available inspection evidence indicates Year 6 pupils felt well prepared for secondary transition, which suggests a focus on independence, routines, and learning habits, not just test readiness.

In practical terms, families should shortlist secondaries early and think about travel. New Moston sits within a dense Manchester school landscape, so the “best” next step varies by your priorities. A useful approach is to use FindMySchoolMap Search to sense-check realistic commuting distances to preferred secondaries, then overlay admissions rules and oversubscription patterns before relying on a single route.

This is a popular school on the Reception route. In the most recent admissions data available here, there were 97 applications for 44 offers, and the school is marked oversubscribed. Put simply, demand exceeds supply, so it is important to treat admissions as a process to manage rather than a formality. The first-preference pressure is also high, with a 1.27 ratio of first preferences to first-preference offers in the data provided, which is another indicator of competition.

Reception applications are coordinated through the local authority. For September 2026 entry in Manchester, the application round opened on 18 August 2025 and the on-time deadline was 15 January 2026, with offers made on 16 April 2026. If you are applying for a later year, the broad pattern typically repeats annually, but the council timetable is the source of truth.

Nursery admissions work differently. Nursery places are applied for directly to the school, with children eligible to start the September after their third birthday. The school asks for documentation such as a birth certificate and baptism certificate, and states that Nursery admissions are confirmed in the spring term before entry. Even with a Nursery place, you still need to apply separately for a Reception place through the local authority route.

Because the school is Catholic, families should expect faith-related admissions criteria to matter when the school is oversubscribed. In practice, that often means supplementary forms and faith evidence for some applicants, depending on the exact policy in the relevant year. If you are unsure how those criteria apply to your child’s circumstances, ask early rather than after the deadline.

Pupil wellbeing is addressed both explicitly and through structures that create belonging. The evidence available highlights pupils’ knowledge about physical and mental wellbeing and describes a calm atmosphere in which learning is rarely disrupted. That is usually a positive sign for children who need predictable routines, and for families who want a school day that feels settled rather than reactive.

Safeguarding is a non-negotiable for parents, and it is one of the clearest official signals available. The latest graded inspection evidence for the predecessor school states that safeguarding arrangements were effective.

Support for pupils with additional needs is also referenced, with a focus on identifying needs and removing barriers. The school publishes a named SENDCo, which is helpful from a parent navigation point of view, because it makes it clearer who coordinates support and communication.

The distinctive feature here is not a long list of clubs, it is how pupil leadership and values are turned into programmes with real responsibility.

Reading is the most obvious pillar. The Reading Council contributes to tangible changes, including library development and reading scheme choices, and uses book talks and reading promotions to spread enthusiasm across classes. For many children, that peer-to-peer encouragement can be the difference between reading because they “should” and reading because it is part of identity and friendship groups.

Faith-in-action sits alongside. The G.I.F.T. Team is structured around planning worship and supporting charities, with named initiatives and fundraising activities. For families who value service and community contribution as part of education, this is a practical, child-led expression of Catholic life rather than a purely adult-run programme.

Environmental action also appears in two places. There is an Eco-Council, and the inspection evidence references pupils providing an eco-friendly recycling service for parents and carers, which suggests sustainability is framed as something pupils can organise and deliver, not just learn about.

Performing arts have a visible footprint too. The school has participated in the Young Voices concert in Manchester, with the choir learning songs and performance routines for a large-scale event. Even though the specific example referenced is from 2018, it signals a willingness to take part in city-wide opportunities rather than keeping enrichment entirely in-house.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the usual extras, such as uniform, trips, and any optional paid wraparound.

The school day runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm. Breakfast Club operates Monday to Friday in term time, from 7:45am to 8:45am, and is priced at £3.00 per day. After School Club provision is flagged by the school as under review, with an update expected for 2026, so parents who need reliable late pickup should confirm current arrangements directly with the school before relying on them.

For travel, most families will approach this as a local school, balancing walkability, local traffic at drop-off, and practical routes from New Moston and surrounding areas. If you are comparing multiple Manchester primaries, mapping your realistic door-to-gate routine is often more useful than looking at the map alone.

• Competition for places. With the school marked oversubscribed on the Reception route, families should plan for admissions carefully and keep realistic contingencies. Demand is materially higher than the number of places in the data available.

• Nursery does not guarantee Reception. Even if your child attends Nursery here, you still need to apply for Reception through the local authority route, and oversubscription rules can still apply.

• Wraparound beyond breakfast may change. Breakfast Club is clearly defined, but After School Club arrangements are described as under review. If wraparound is essential for your working week, confirm the current position early.

• Catholic admissions expectations. As a Roman Catholic school, faith-based criteria may shape who gets a place when the school is oversubscribed, which can be a positive for families seeking that ethos, and a constraint for those who are not.

This is a high-performing Manchester primary with a clear Catholic identity and a strong reading culture. The outcomes suggest pupils leave Year 6 academically well prepared, and the wider offer, especially reading leadership, service through the G.I.F.T. Team, and environmental initiatives, gives children structured ways to contribute beyond their own classroom.

Best suited to families who want a Catholic primary where reading is taken seriously, pupil leadership is real rather than tokenistic, and expectations are high. The limiting factor is admission, so the strongest advice is to treat the timetable and criteria as part of the decision, not an afterthought.