Dowson Primary Academy

Tameside · SK14 5HU

General information Primary School · 3-11 years Who goes here 477 pupils, 21.2% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 15.9% on SEN support Behaviour 3.7% absence rate Staff 5.3% turnover Financials £5,775 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Dowson Primary Academy

General Information

Address: Marlborough Road, Hyde, SK14 5HU – View on map
Phone: 01613660177
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Kathryn Thornburn
Age range: 3-11 years
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

477 pupils out of 475 places At or near capacity

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 101
% eligible for free school meals: 21.2%
Pupil mix: 2 in 10 (less mixed than the Tameside average)
English as an additional language: 2% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 5.3% a year (Tameside 12.5%, typical in England 13.9%) Low turnover
Where they went: about 40% moved to another school, 60% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. "Low turnover" means it's among the quarter of similar schools in England where teachers are most likely to stay.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Tameside: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 6 (0.3 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 0 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 0 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Tameside, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 3.7%
Persistently absent pupils: 6.3%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 15.9%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 2.7%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Social, emotional and mental health: 25 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 20 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 19 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 4 pupils
SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 2 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 9 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 2 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 1 pupil
Autistic spectrum disorder: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2022 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 69% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 5% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 7 percentage points above the Tameside average (62%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Above (3-year average 64% against an expected 56%)
3-year average (expected standard): 64%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 79% · Writing 75% · Maths 79% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 72%
Average test scores: reading 105, maths 103
Based on: 61 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolTameside averageEngland↗ Improving Up 9 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 7 percentage points above the Tameside average (62%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 14th of 58 junior and primary schools in the area

=11Linden Road Academy and Hearing Impaired Base72%
#13Buckton Vale Primary School70%
=14Dowson Primary Academy69%
=14Fairfield Road Primary School69%
=14Godley Community Primary Academy69%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Milton St John's CofE Primary School90%
#2St John's CofE Primary School, Dukinfield83%
#3St Raphael's Catholic Primary School80%
=4Bradley Green Primary Academy79%
=4Livingstone Primary School79%
#6Broadbent Fold Primary School and Nursery77%
=7St Paul's CofE Primary School, Stalybridge76%
=7St. Peter's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy76%
#9Flowery Field Primary School75%
#10Holden Clough Primary School74%
=11Aldwyn Primary School72%
=11Linden Road Academy and Hearing Impaired Base72%
#13Buckton Vale Primary School70%
=14Dowson Primary Academy69%
=14Fairfield Road Primary School69%
=14Godley Community Primary Academy69%
=17Lyndhurst Primary School68%
=17St James' Church of England Primary School68%
=19Holy Trinity CofE Primary School67%
=19Inspire Academy67%
=21St Mary's CofE Primary School66%
=21St Peter's CofE Primary School66%
=23Oasis Academy Broadoak65%
=23Stalyhill Junior School65%
=25Canon Burrows CofE Primary School64%
=25Endeavour Primary Academy64%
=27Ashton West End Primary Academy63%
=27Audenshaw Primary School63%
=27Parochial CofE Primary and Nursery School, Ashton-under-Lyne63%
=30Canon Johnson CofE Primary School62%
=30Greenside Primary School62%
=30St Stephen's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy62%
=33Denton West End Primary School61%
=33The Heys Primary School61%
=35Discovery Academy60%
=35Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery School60%
=35Poplar Street Primary School60%
#38Manchester Road Primary Academy59%
=39Moorside Primary School58%
=39St Joseph's RC Primary School58%
=41Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Primary School, Ashton-under-Lyne57%
=41St. Paul's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy57%
=41Wild Bank Primary School57%
=44Micklehurst All Saints CofE Primary School54%
=44Russell Scott Primary School54%
#46Manor Green Primary Academy53%
=47Dixons Silver Springs Primary52%
=47St George's CofE Primary School52%
#49St George's CofE Primary School50%
#50Waterloo Primary School49%
#51Yew Tree Primary School48%
#52Hurst Knoll St James' Church of England Primary School47%
#53Greenfield Primary Academy46%
#54St. Mary's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy45%
#55Rosehill Methodist Primary Academy39%
#56Arlies Primary School37%
#57St Mary's RC Primary School36%
#58Oakfield Primary and Moderate Learning Difficulties Resource Provision33%

View full Ofsted inspection report

14th of 58 primary schools in Tameside for Ofsted rating

#12Discovery AcademyGood
#13Dixons Silver Springs PrimaryGood
#14Dowson Primary AcademyGood
#15Endeavour Primary AcademyGood
#16Fairfield Road Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Millbrook Primary SchoolOutstanding
#2Aldwyn Primary SchoolGood
#3Arlies Primary SchoolGood
#4Arundale Primary SchoolGood
#5Ashton West End Primary AcademyGood
#6Broadbent Fold Primary School and NurseryGood
#7Broadbottom Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#8Canon Burrows CofE Primary SchoolGood
#9Canon Johnson CofE Primary SchoolGood
#10Corrie Primary SchoolGood
#11Denton West End Primary SchoolGood
#12Discovery AcademyGood
#13Dixons Silver Springs PrimaryGood
#14Dowson Primary AcademyGood
#15Endeavour Primary AcademyGood
#16Fairfield Road Primary SchoolGood
#17Gee Cross Holy Trinity CofE Primary SchoolGood
#18Godley Community Primary AcademyGood
#19Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#20Greenfield Primary AcademyGood
#21Greenside Primary SchoolGood
#22Greswell Primary School and NurseryGood
#23Hollingworth Primary SchoolGood
#24Holy Trinity CofE Primary SchoolGood
#25Inspire AcademyGood
#26Linden Road Academy and Hearing Impaired BaseGood
#27Livingstone Primary SchoolGood
#28Manchester Road Primary AcademyGood
#29Micklehurst All Saints CofE Primary SchoolGood
#30Milton St John's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#31Moorside Primary SchoolGood
#32Mottram CofE Primary SchoolGood
#33Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Primary School, Ashton-under-LyneGood
#34Parochial CofE Primary and Nursery School, Ashton-under-LyneGood
#35Pinfold Primary SchoolGood
#36Poplar Street Primary SchoolGood
#37Rosehill Methodist Primary AcademyGood
#38Russell Scott Primary SchoolGood
#39St Anne's Primary SchoolGood
#40St Anne's RC Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyGood
#41St Christopher's RC Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyGood
#42St George's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#43St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyGood
#44St John Fisher RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy, DentonGood
#45St John's CofE Primary School, DukinfieldGood
#46St Joseph's RC Primary SchoolGood
#47St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#48St Paul's CofE Primary School, StalybridgeGood
#49St Peter's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#50St Raphael's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#51St Stephen's RC Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyGood
#52St. Mary's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyGood
#53St. Paul's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyGood
#54St. Peter's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyGood
#55The Heys Primary SchoolGood
#56Yew Tree Primary SchoolGood
#57Lyndhurst Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#58Wild Bank Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £5,775 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

55th of 67 primary schools in Tameside for spending per pupil

#53Waterloo Primary School£5,860
#54Flowery Field Primary School£5,826
#55Dowson Primary Academy£5,775
#56Aldwyn Primary School£5,765
#57St John's CofE Primary School, Dukinfield£5,711

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Wild Bank Primary School£9,879
#2Oakfield Primary and Moderate Learning Difficulties Resource Provision£9,274
#3Greenfield Primary Academy£9,018
#4St George's CofE Primary School£8,746
#5Rosehill Methodist Primary Academy£8,211
#6Ashton West End Primary Academy£8,094
#7St Peter's CofE Primary School£8,023
#8Lyndhurst Primary School£7,991
#9Hurst Knoll St James' Church of England Primary School£7,982
#10Holy Trinity CofE Primary School£7,973
#11Arlies Primary School£7,789
#12St. Mary's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy£7,693
#13Discovery Academy£7,460
#14St James' Church of England Primary School£7,423
#15Micklehurst All Saints CofE Primary School£7,419
#16Greenside Primary School£7,416
#17St George's CofE Primary School£7,414
#18Russell Scott Primary School£7,402
#19The Heys Primary School£7,353
#20St Joseph's RC Primary School£7,251
#21Dixons Silver Springs Primary£7,145
#22St Mary's RC Primary School£7,009
#23Manor Green Primary Academy£6,991
#24Endeavour Primary Academy£6,947
#25Yew Tree Primary School£6,830
#26Audenshaw Primary School£6,828
#27Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Primary School, Ashton-under-Lyne£6,713
#28Inspire Academy£6,704
#29Bradley Green Primary Academy£6,693
#30Linden Road Academy and Hearing Impaired Base£6,687
#31St Paul's CofE Primary School, Stalybridge£6,680
#32St Mary's CofE Primary School£6,571
#33Buckton Vale Primary School£6,554
#34St. Paul's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy£6,542
#35Broadbent Fold Primary School and Nursery£6,441
#36Parochial CofE Primary and Nursery School, Ashton-under-Lyne£6,440
#37St Raphael's Catholic Primary School£6,392
#38Canon Johnson CofE Primary School£6,372
#39Oasis Academy Broadoak£6,335
#40Ravensfield Primary School£6,323
#41Milton St John's CofE Primary School£6,322
#42St. Peter's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy£6,308
#43Livingstone Primary School£6,286
#44Manchester Road Primary Academy£6,261
#45Moorside Primary School£6,247
#46Canon Burrows CofE Primary School£6,241
#47Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery School£6,146
#48Holden Clough Primary School£6,112
#49Poplar Street Primary School£6,063
#50Fairfield Road Primary School£6,061
#51Godley Community Primary Academy£6,031
#52St Stephen's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy£5,950
#53Waterloo Primary School£5,860
#54Flowery Field Primary School£5,826
#55Dowson Primary Academy£5,775
#56Aldwyn Primary School£5,765
#57St John's CofE Primary School, Dukinfield£5,711
#58Denton West End Primary School£5,655
#59Corrie Primary School£5,127
#60Millbrook Primary School£5,035
#61Arundale Primary School£4,604
#62Greswell Primary School and Nursery£4,424
#63Pinfold Primary School£4,206
#64St Christopher's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy£3,244
#65St Anne's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy£3,210
#66Hollingworth Primary School£1,524
#67St John Fisher RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy, Denton£1,004

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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