School Chooser

Crossacres Primary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy704 pupilsNurseryManchester
School Chooser Score
80
Above
similar schools
Likely range 68 to 88
Out of 100. Better than 92% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedOutstandingLast Ofsted inspection, January 2023
Reached the expected level at 1167%England 63%
Attendance94.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families49%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull704 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher20.6School workforce census

Crossacres Primary Academy is a converter academy in Manchester for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 704 pupils, 284 more than it has places for. About 49 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 80 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2023.

Crossacres Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester, M22 5AD0161 437 1272crossacresprimary.co.ukMrs Suzanne Blay headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 24 January 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

90 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1167%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 63%63%20172018: 76%76%20182019: 83%83%20192023: 70%70%20232024: 64%64%20242025: 67%67%2025
Since 2017: +4%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017ManchesterEngland
Pupils tested908588595951
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths67%64%70%83%76%63%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%8%14%8%17%18%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0104.0107.0107.0106.0104.0104.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0105.0106.0108.0106.0104.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0105.0107.0107.0105.0105.0105.4105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard68%71%81%88%80%67%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%75%83%92%86%78%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)77%75%83%86%83%80%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.2+2.8+2.0-0.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.8+3.0+3.3+1.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged64%51%63%82%77%67%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged70%79%79%86%75%56%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 3 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
64%70%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
64%69%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
47%67%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Nearly full624 pupils for 630 places, 2024/25
99% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Manchester council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll704Census January 2026
Places420168% full
Pupils from low-income families49%49% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English19%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support19%133 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%50 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.124 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils4%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)48%£463,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls369 / 335
White British pupils51%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.6 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.2 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (119), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (16), emotional and mental health (15), Autistic spectrum disorder (10), Physical disability (9), Moderate learning difficulty (5).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll704702707718725712
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals49%50%47%47%44%41%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language19%19%20%21%21%19%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%19%17%18%18%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%5%5%4%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school16.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.9%6.7%6.2%6.6%4.5%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.7%4.3%4.1%4.8%3.4%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.2%2.3%2.1%1.8%1.2%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence16.2%19.3%17.1%20.3%11.0%6.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.31.60.10.10.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers34.2full-time equivalent, 36 people
Pupils per teacher20.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants28.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£54,770
Teachers who left in the year16%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.42024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,642England £7,128. Total £5.4m
Income per pupil£7,291England £7,587. Total £5.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,758England £3,405
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £347k, £494 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£247kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,642spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Typical house price£254,000Manchester
Nearest bus stop140 mCrossacres School, 15 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Peel Hall Primary AcademyAcademy610 m163Inadequate 20231Compare
St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy780 m227Good 202419Compare
Gatley Primary SchoolAcademy820 m659Outstanding 2024100Compare
Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy900 m370Good 202321Compare
Lum Head Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles210Good 202474Compare
Haveley Hey Community SchoolAcademy0.7 miles413No overall grade 20244Compare
North Cheshire Jewish Primary SchoolJewish1.0 miles173Good 202482Compare
Prospect Vale Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles230Good 202366Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Crossacres Primary Academy with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats92%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 80 is 59 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 22 · highest 95100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 80 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 80% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 68 to 88. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.02
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 90 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)well above
+0.40
Ofsted grade, 3.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.13
DfE progress measure; 90 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.11
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.05
2024/25; 557 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 90 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Crossacres Primary Academy a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Crossacres Primary Academy scores 80 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 68 to 88, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Crossacres Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Crossacres Primary Academy outstanding at its last full inspection on 24 January 2023.

How good are Crossacres Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 67% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Crossacres Primary Academy have?

704 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 168% full.

Is Crossacres Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Crossacres Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 16% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Crossacres Primary Academy?

The average class had 25.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 4% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Crossacres Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester, M22 5AD
Telephone
0161 437 1272
Website
www.crossacresprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Suzanne Blay
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Single-academy trust
Crossacres Primary Academy (1 schools)
Local authority
Manchester
Ward
Sharston
Constituency
Wythenshawe and Sale East
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2014 (academy converter)
URN
140709 · LAESTAB 3522073 · UKPRN 10045253
Formerly
Crossacres Primary School

Where these figures come from