Dukesgate Academy, Salford
Dukesgate Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Salford, part of United Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 29 schools in Salford with published results, and 6,110th of 14,452 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Salford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Dukesgate Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Dukesgate Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 73% in Salford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 72% in reading and 72% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Dukesgate Academy
For September 2026 entry, 20 families put Dukesgate Academy as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 20 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Dukesgate Academy are St Paul's Peel CofE Primary School (0.3 miles, Requires improvement, 83% reading, 65% maths); Wharton Primary School (0.6 miles, 64% reading, 78% maths); Bridgewater Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 86% reading, 86% maths); and St James CofE Primary School, Farnworth (0.7 miles, Good, 79% reading, 77% maths).
Dukesgate Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
St Paul's Peel CofE Primary SchoolWharton Primary SchoolBridgewater Primary SchoolSt James CofE Primary School, Farnworth
The trust
Dukesgate Academy is one of 98 schools run by United Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
63% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 28.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (58%), Black (17%) and Mixed (9%).
In 2026, 83 pupils (36.6%) received SEN support and 7 (3.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Walkden Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Earlesdon Crescent (opposite), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Dukesgate Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Dukesgate Academy issued 6 suspensions, 2.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Dukesgate Academy are Star Salford Academy (0.6 miles), St James's Church of England High School (0.7 miles), The Lowry Academy (1 mile) and Harper Green School (1.1 miles).
Star Salford AcademySt James's Church of England High SchoolThe Lowry AcademyHarper Green School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Salford published that the last place for 2017 entry went to a family 0.386 miles away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils enjoy attending Dukesgate Academy. They value the warm and caring relationships that they have with staff and with each other. Most pupils behave well and listen to their teachers. They look forward to their learning each day.
A very small number of pupils said that they have been bullied in the past. However, the school's records show that it takes swift and effective action to sort out any incidents of repeatedly unkind words or behaviour. Pupils reported that they feel safe and happy in school. They agreed that many improvements have been made to the school in recent years.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The trust has supported the school to design a curriculum that is ambitious and introduces pupils to new knowledge in small, logical steps from the beginning of the early years to the end of Year 6. Most staff feel that the curriculum information that they receive helps them to manage their workload. It also enables staff to develop their subject-specific knowledge well. Staff teach the curriculum with confidence and expertise. They use assessment information effectively to check if pupils have understood the subject content that has been taught. Staff address misconceptions or gaps in pupils' learning swiftly.
The 2023 published data shows that by the end of Year 6, pupils' progress in reading, writing and mathematics was significantly below that of their peers nationally. However, the school has analysed the reasons for the end of key stage data. It has taken effective steps to address these weaknesses. For example, the school has focused on improving pupils' rapid recall of multiplication facts in mathematics and increasing pupils' stamina and fluency in reading. Pupils now have more opportunities to practise and improve their writing knowledge than they did in the past. Current pupils learn well. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2014 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
63.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 72% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 72% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.3
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Dukesgate Academy
Before and after school care
Dukesgate Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Salford
Term dates
Dukesgate Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Salford's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dukesgate Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dukesgate Academy is in Salford; for families living there:
- Salford's school travel policy: Salford home to school transport policy 2026 (Adobe PDF format, 156kb)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 12 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Salford is 19.5 (the median across 136 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Dukesgate Academy
Will you get a place at Dukesgate Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Dukesgate Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Dukesgate Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Dukesgate Academy.
- Last distance offered for 2016 and 2017 entry, from Salford's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Dukesgate Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Salford got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
202 pupils
210 places
8 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Salford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Salford
Across Salford council
Places available
3,266
Applications
2,753
Got 1st preference
91.1%
Got preferred school
97.8%
All primary applications across Salford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
83
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
39.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
227
Total Pupils
107
Boys
120
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
18.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,911
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,723
Per pupil
£1650k
Total funding
£195k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.6%
Overall absence
25.1%
Persistent absence
183
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Dukesgate Academy
What are SATs results like at Dukesgate Academy?
Of the pupils at Dukesgate Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is Dukesgate Academy's Ofsted rating?
Dukesgate Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2014, it was rated Good.
How close to Dukesgate Academy do you need to live?
Salford publishes how far the last offered place was, in miles: 0.188 for 2016 entry, then 0.386 for 2017 entry. The cut-off has loosened over that period, so places have been reaching further out. These are the authority's own figures, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications each year.
Is it hard to get a place at Dukesgate Academy?
Dukesgate Academy was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Dukesgate Academy?
Classes at Dukesgate Academy average 28.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Dukesgate Academy?
Dukesgate Academy has around 227 pupils on roll. 63% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dukesgate Academy?
8.6% of sessions were missed at Dukesgate Academy in 2024/25. 25.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dukesgate Academy?
Apply through Salford's coordinated admissions process, naming Dukesgate Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Dukesgate Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Dukesgate Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Dukesgate Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 12 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Salford is 19.5 (the median across 136 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Dukesgate Academy?
Dukesgate Academy is at Earlesdon Crescent, Little Hulton, Salford, Greater Manchester, M38 9HF.
Sources: Salford admissions booklets; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)