Varna Community Primary School is a primary school in Manchester, serving pupils aged 3 to 11. The school is a community school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Varna Community Primary School currently has around 475 pupils on roll, which is about 101% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 48.4% boys and 51.6% girls. Around 51.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 4.6%. Persistent absence is recorded at 13.9%.
The school has a diverse intake, with african pupils forming the largest group at around 27.6%. white british pupils make up about 21.7%
Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Chisholm Street, Manchester, M11 2LE |
| Website: | www.varna.manchester.sch.uk |
| Telephone: | 01617111023 |
| School Type: | Community school |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Manchester |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Miss Karen Livesey |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 105459 |
Ofsted inspection date: 11/03/2025
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 3 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 472 |
| Number of Pupils: | 475 |
| Number of Boys: | 230 |
| Number of Girls: | 245 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 4.6% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 13.9% | 8.2% |
| African | 27.60% | 131 |
| White British | 21.70% | 103 |
| Pakistani | 9.50% | 45 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 6.30% | 30 |
| Other Asian | 5.50% | 26 |
| Other Mixed | 3.80% | 18 |
| Other Black | 3.60% | 17 |
| Caribbean | 3.20% | 15 |
| Chinese | 3.20% | 15 |
| Unclassified | 3.20% | 15 |
| Other White | 2.50% | 12 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 2.10% | 10 |
| White and Black African | 1.90% | 9 |
| White and Asian | 1.70% | 8 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 1.70% | 8 |
| Indian | 1.50% | 7 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.80% | 4 |
| Irish | 0.40% | 2 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varna Community Primary School Chisholm Street , Openshaw M11 2LE | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Higher Openshaw Community School Saunton Road , Higher Openshaw M11 1AJ | 3out of 4 | 570 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Clement's CofE Primary School Abbey Hey Lane , Higher Openshaw M11 1LR | 3out of 4 | 677 yd | Voluntary controlled school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St James' CofE Primary School Gorton Stelling Street , Gorton M18 8LW | 3out of 4 | 997 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St James' CofE Primary School Gorton Stelling Street , Gorton M18 8LW | - not rated | 997 yd | Voluntary controlled school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Gregory's RC High School Stopford Street , Higher Openshaw M11 1FG | - not rated | 829 yd | Voluntary aided school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Fairfield High School for Girls Fairfield Avenue , Droylsden M43 6AB | 3out of 4 | 1,424 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Girls | More About School |
| Fairfield High School for Girls Fairfield Avenue , Droylsden M43 6AB | - not rated | 1,424 yd | Foundation school | Not Applicable | Girls | More About School |
| Wright Robinson College Abbey Hey Lane , Gorton M18 8RL | - not rated | 1,490 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Wright Robinson College Abbey Hey Lane , Gorton M18 8RL | 4out of 4 | 1,490 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LTE Group Whitworth House , Whitworth St M11 2WH | - not rated | 1,237 yd | Further education | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| The Manchester College Openshaw Campus , Ashton Old Road M11 2WH | - not rated | 1,237 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Connell Co-Op College 301 Alan Turing Way , M11 3BS | - not rated | 1,753 yd | Free schools 16 to 19 | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester Settlement New Roundhouse , 1328-1330 Ashton Old Road M11 1JG | - not rated | 579 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Music Stuff Unit 2 , The Cuthbert Centre M11 2NA | - not rated | 819 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Abbey Hey Pupil Referral Unit Abbey Hey Lane , Abbey Hey M18 8TJ | - not rated | 1,044 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ashton Old Road Independent School 1484 Ashton Old Road , Openshawe M11 1HL | - not rated | 1,154 yd | Other independent special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Manchester KS3 and 4 PRU Crossley Street Centre , Crossley Street M18 8BA | - not rated | 1,175 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.