School Chooser

The Olive School, Manchester

Primary · ages 4-11MixedFree schoolMuslim119 pupils Free breakfast clubManchester
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredThere isn't enough published data yet. To get a score, a school needs results or an inspection plus at least one other figure.
Pupils from low-income families50%Far more than most schools
Places301 spare119 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher23.8School workforce census
Pupils on roll119Census January 2026

The Olive School, Manchester is a free school in Manchester for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 119 pupils and room for 420. About 50 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England.

151 Heywood Street, Manchester, M8 0DF0161 383 2760olivemanchester.comMrs Hafsha Hafeji headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet. That is normal for a school that opened in 2024: new schools usually get their first inspection within three years.

Results

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Muslim school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places60 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
14% full

360 places were empty (86% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

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 the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll119Census January 2026
Places42028% full
Pupils from low-income families50%50% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English79%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support10%12 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.84 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)46%£85,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls61 / 58
White British pupils0%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (10), Moderate learning difficulty (3), Physical disability (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025
Pupils on roll11960
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals50%42%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language79%83%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.0full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher23.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,567
Teachers who left in the year33%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies1

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£12,633England £7,128. Total £758k
Income per pupil£12,550England £7,587. Total £753k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,050England £3,405
Money in reserve0%In the red: -£682, -£11 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£5,000it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£12,633spent 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

Local crime rate0 per 1,000 people100% lower than the England average
Typical house price£254,000Manchester
Nearest bus stop200 mShirley Road, 20 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
Oasis Academy TempleAcademy460 m628Good 202228Compare
St Chad's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy480 m194Requires improvement 202318Compare
Cheetham CofE Community AcademyAcademy580 m597Good 202352Compare
Marlborough Road AcademyAcademy630 m226Good 202329Compare
Unity Community PrimaryFree school760 m363Report card 202621Compare
St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary SchoolRoman Catholic800 m503Outstanding 202398Compare
Abraham Moss Community SchoolAcademy850 m1,793Not inspected30Compare
St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall ManchesterRoman Catholic0.6 miles413Good 202314Compare

Questions parents ask

Is The Olive School, Manchester a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score The Olive School, Manchester yet.

How many pupils does The Olive School, Manchester have?

119 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 28% full.

Is The Olive School, Manchester oversubscribed?

Probably not. 360 places were empty in 2024/25 (86% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

How big are the classes at The Olive School, Manchester?

The average class had 29.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does The Olive School, Manchester have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
151 Heywood Street, Manchester, M8 0DF
Telephone
0161 383 2760
Website
www.olivemanchester.com
Headteacher
Mrs Hafsha Hafeji
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Free school (Free schools, free schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Muslim
Multi-academy trust
Star Academies (36 schools)
Local authority
Manchester
Ward
Cheetham
Constituency
Manchester Central
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2024 (academy free school)
URN
150714 · LAESTAB 3522055 · UKPRN 10095886

Where these figures come from