E-ACT Blackley Academy, Manchester
E-ACT Blackley Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Manchester, part of E-Act. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 201st-highest of the 258 schools in Manchester with published results, and 11,173rd of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Manchester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
E-ACT Blackley Academy in detail
E-ACT Blackley Academy in its own words
In its own words: "By the time your child leaves E-ACT Blackley Academy at the end of Year 6, it is our intention that they will be: At the heart of E-ACT Blackley Academy lay our core values, which we believe will aid in boosting the aspirations and achievements of our young people."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, gymnastics, yoga, dance and debating.
The school runs a breakfast club, from £1 per day.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils at E-ACT Blackley Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 74% in Manchester and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (71% in reading, 68% in maths).
Getting a place at E-ACT Blackley Academy
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put E-ACT Blackley Academy as their first choice and 77 named it as one of their preferences, for 40 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at E-ACT Blackley Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to E-ACT Blackley Academy are St Clare's RC Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 73% reading, 85% maths); Crab Lane Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 74% reading, 76% maths); Crosslee Community Primary School (0.8 miles, 57% reading, 71% maths); and Pike Fold Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 78% reading, 72% maths).
E-ACT Blackley Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St Clare's RC Primary SchoolCrab Lane Primary SchoolCrosslee Community Primary SchoolPike Fold Primary School
The trust
E-ACT Blackley Academy is one of 37 schools run by E-Act, an academy trust.
Who goes there
62.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 73 pupils (16.6%) received SEN support and 29 (6.6%) 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 tram or metro stop is Bowker Vale (Manchester Metrolink), about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hill Lane (near), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood E-ACT Blackley 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, E-ACT Blackley Academy issued 9 suspensions, 2.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to E-ACT Blackley Academy are Our Lady's RC High School (0.3 miles) and Co-op Academy Manchester (0.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
62.4%
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 declined from 71% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.5
Avg class size
25.6
Infant (KS1)
29.6
KS2
17
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from E-ACT Blackley Academy
Headteachers End of Year Message
21 Jul 2026
Dino Stomp Event - Springhill Hospice
20 Jul 2026
July Newsletter
2 Jul 2026
May End of Term - Headteachers Message
22 May 2026
June Newsletter
22 May 2026
From E-ACT Blackley Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with E-ACT Blackley Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to E-ACT Blackley Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. E-ACT Blackley Academy is in Manchester; for families living there:
Apply to Manchester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 24
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 14 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 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 E-ACT Blackley Academy
Will you get a place at E-ACT Blackley Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against E-ACT Blackley Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for E-ACT Blackley Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to E-ACT Blackley Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Manchester, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at E-ACT Blackley Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Manchester 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
94%
Near capacity
396 pupils
420 places
24 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Manchester
Across Manchester council
Places available
7,530
Applications
5,736
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Manchester council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
73
SEN Support
29
EHC Plans
23.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
441
Total Pupils
213
Boys
228
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
22.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,883
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,207
Per pupil
£2828k
Total funding
£351k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
13.1%
Persistent absence
359
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
E-ACT Blackley Academy
Questions parents ask about E-ACT Blackley Academy
What are SATs results like at E-ACT Blackley Academy?
Of the pupils at E-ACT Blackley Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 64% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is E-ACT Blackley Academy's Ofsted rating?
E-ACT Blackley Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024.
What is the catchment area for E-ACT Blackley Academy?
No fixed boundary. When E-ACT Blackley Academy is oversubscribed, Manchester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at E-ACT Blackley Academy?
E-ACT Blackley Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at E-ACT Blackley Academy?
Classes at E-ACT Blackley Academy average 24.5 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to E-ACT Blackley Academy?
E-ACT Blackley Academy has around 441 pupils on roll. 62% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at E-ACT Blackley Academy?
4.9% of sessions were missed at E-ACT Blackley Academy in 2024/25. 13.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to E-ACT Blackley Academy?
Apply through Manchester's coordinated admissions process, naming E-ACT Blackley 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.
How many road collisions happen near E-ACT Blackley Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 14 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 schools, same distance and years).
Where is E-ACT Blackley Academy?
E-ACT Blackley Academy is at Victoria Avenue, Blackley, Manchester, M9 0RD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)