St Mary's Church of England Primary School

A one-form entry Church of England primary in South Reddish, this is a school that blends clear behavioural expectations with a strong emphasis on inclusion. The current headteacher, Mrs D. Faryniarz, has been in post since September 2022, and the school’s published values focus on love, respect, creativity, forgiveness and perseverance.

Academically, the picture is mixed but readable. In the current Key Stage 2 dataset, 70% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. The combined higher-standard figure is 0%, so the strongest signals now sit in individual subjects, particularly reading and mathematics.

For families, the practical headline is demand. Reception entry is oversubscribed, with 69 applications for 26 offers in the most recent admissions, around 2.65 applications per place.

St Mary’s frames itself explicitly as a Church school that welcomes families of faith and no faith, and it presents its Christian distinctiveness as something that shapes day-to-day culture rather than sitting in a separate box. That matters for parents, because it tends to show up in how assemblies are handled, how relationships are described, and how the school talks about responsibility and service.

The published values are consistent across the site and policy documents, which suggests they are used as working language rather than marketing copy. Behaviour expectations are also kept simple and repeatable, with the school’s behaviour policy using a short set of rules (Ready, Respectful, Safe) and a restorative tone linked to its Christian values.

For children, this often translates into predictable routines. Predictability can be a quiet strength in a one-form entry setting, particularly for pupils who need structure to feel secure. The latest inspection evidence also aligns with that general picture, describing pupils who meet expectations for behaviour and feel confident that adults handle issues fairly.

Key Stage 2 outcomes in the current dataset show a school that is secure on the combined expected standard, with 70% meeting the reading, writing and mathematics benchmark.

A closer look at the component measures adds nuance:

• Reading: average scaled score 107, with 80% reaching the expected standard, and 40% reaching the higher standard.

• Mathematics: average scaled score 105, with 90% reaching the expected standard, and 30% reaching the higher standard.

• Grammar, punctuation and spelling: average scaled score 105, with 70% reaching the expected standard, and 30% reaching the higher standard.

• Science: 80% reached the expected standard.

The combined higher-standard measure is no longer a notable positive in the current dataset, with 0% achieving greater depth across reading, writing and maths. For parents of high attainers, the stronger evidence now sits in individual subjects, especially reading, where 40% achieved the higher standard.

In FindMySchool's England-wide ranking for primary outcomes, the school sits around the middle of the national distribution, at 6,060th for primary academic outcomes and 6,755th overall. Locally, it ranks 36th within Stockport. That sounds counterintuitive alongside the secure combined expected figure, but it is common for rankings to reflect multiple components and distribution effects, including the balance of subjects and higher-standard performance across the full set.

Curriculum development is a theme in the most recent inspection. Ofsted’s November 2024 inspection judged all key areas, including quality of education and early years provision, as Good (under the post-September 2024 approach where there is no single overall effectiveness grade).

The inspection report also flags a familiar improvement challenge: where curriculum work is newer, subject knowledge and sequencing can still be embedding, which can make it harder to spot misconceptions early. That said, the same report also points to effective adaptation for pupils with SEND and early reading routines that start from Reception, with books matched to the sounds pupils know.

For families, the practical implication is this: if your child benefits from clear phonics structures and consistent practice, the published approach should suit. If your child needs particularly deep subject-specialist stretch, it is worth probing how the curriculum is developing in specific foundation subjects, and how the school checks learning over time.

As a primary school, the default route is transition into local secondary schools through Stockport’s usual admissions processes and catchment structures. St Mary’s does not publish a destinations list with named secondaries and numbers, so parents should expect the typical local pattern, with most pupils moving to nearby secondaries and some families also considering selective or faith-based routes depending on eligibility and preference.

A sensible question to ask at open events is how the school supports transition in Year 6, including liaison with receiving schools, routines for pupils with additional needs, and how they build independence ahead of Year 7.

Admissions follow Stockport local authority procedures, with applications made online via the council rather than directly to the school.

For Reception entry for September 2027, Stockport's published timeline includes:

• Applications open: 15 August 2025

• Closing date: 15 January 2027

• National Offer Day: 16 April 2027

• Families moving house should check Stockport's current address-change rules directly, as these can affect offer-day consideration.

Demand is material. The most recent shows 69 applications for 26 offers, around 2.65 applications per place, with the school marked as oversubscribed. Where oversubscription exists, distance, siblings, and other criteria in the published admissions rules become decisive, so families should use the FindMySchool Map Search to sanity-check how their home position compares with typical allocation patterns, and treat any move purely for a school place with caution.

The school’s wellbeing and inclusion messaging is consistent across multiple pages. There is a clear link between wellbeing and activity, including specific references to active and mindful clubs.

On inclusion, the latest inspection evidence indicates improved identification of SEND needs and teachers adapting curriculum delivery so pupils with SEND can learn well.

For parents, the right way to test this is to ask about the “how”, not the label. For example, how reading catch-up is structured when a child falls behind, how classroom adaptations are communicated, and how staff coordinate support without pulling pupils away from the core curriculum too often.

St Mary’s publishes a mix of wraparound care and termly clubs. On wraparound, Breakfast Club places are bookable in advance, and After School Club runs Monday to Thursday from 3.20pm to 5.15pm.

For extracurriculars, a published Autumn 2024 club list includes:

• Dodgeball and multi-skills (Years 1 to 6)

• Multi-skills and girls’ football (Years 1 to 6)

• Street dance (Years 3 to 6, plus a separate slot for Years 1 and 2)

• Football (Years 1 to 6)

• Choir activity incorporated into the school day (rather than after school)

This matters because it signals two things. First, the school uses external specialists for some sport provision, which can raise consistency and add variety. Second, the inclusion of a girls’ football option is a practical indicator of how the school thinks about participation, especially in a smaller one-form entry.

The school week is published as 32.5 hours, with the day finishing at 3.20pm.

Wraparound care exists in two forms. Breakfast Club is bookable in advance, and After School Club runs four days a week, with two session lengths.

On logistics, the school publishes road-safety messaging, including a daily closure window on Broomfield Drive around drop-off and collection times, and it notes that the on-site car park is for staff only.

• Mixed performance signals. The combined expected standard at Key Stage 2 is above England average, and the higher standard measure is strong; science and some subject-consistency signals are weaker. Families should ask how subject leaders monitor progress in newer curriculum areas, and what has changed since the last inspection.

• Competition for places. The school is oversubscribed in the most recent data. It is worth being realistic about allocation rules and having credible backup preferences.

• Faith character is real. The Church of England identity is prominent in how the school explains its ethos and worship life. That suits many families, but those wanting a fully secular experience should read the school’s statements carefully and ask direct questions about day-to-day practice.

St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, Stockport will suit families who want a values-led primary with clear expectations, structured routines, and accessible wraparound options. The academic story is better than the ranking band alone suggests, with a strong combined expected standard and an above-average share at the higher standard, but also some subject areas that merit closer questioning. The main hurdle is admission rather than what happens once a place is secured.