Old Hall Drive Academy, Manchester
Old Hall Drive Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Manchester, part of Wise Owl Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 109th-highest of the 258 schools in Manchester with published results, and 7,353rd of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- 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 Manchester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Old Hall Drive Academy in detail
Old Hall Drive Academy in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, yoga, dance, drama, choir, chess, STEM, cooking, art and maths club.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Old Hall Drive Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 75% 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 (78% in reading, 71% in maths).
Getting a place at Old Hall Drive Academy
For September 2026 entry, 45 families put Old Hall Drive Academy as their first choice and 119 named it as one of their preferences, for 49 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 Old Hall Drive Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Old Hall Drive Academy are Sacred Heart RC Primary School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 80% maths); Oasis Academy Aspinal (0.4 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths); St James' CofE Primary School Gorton (0.5 miles, Good, 61% reading, 64% maths); and Rushbrook Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 68% reading, 68% maths).
Old Hall Drive Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Sacred Heart RC Primary SchoolOasis Academy AspinalSt James' CofE Primary School GortonRushbrook Primary Academy
The trust
Old Hall Drive Academy is one of 5 schools run by Wise Owl 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
67.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 43.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (30%), Asian (23%) and Black (21%).
Staffing
Old Hall Drive Academy had 26 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ryder Brow Rail Station, about 210 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lindeth Avenue (near), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Old Hall Drive 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, Old Hall Drive Academy issued 13 suspensions, 2.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Old Hall Drive Academy are Cedar Mount Academy (0.5 miles), Co-op Academy Belle Vue (0.8 miles) and Wright Robinson College (1 mile).
Cedar Mount AcademyCo-op Academy Belle VueWright Robinson College
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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
67.9%
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 remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 71% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.6
Avg class size
28.2
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
12
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Old Hall Drive Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Old Hall Drive Academy.
- Progressive Sports900m away · Not yet graded
- Premier Sport Wraparound Abbey Hey Primary Academy980m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Old Hall Drive Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Old Hall Drive 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
- 33
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 13
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 20 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 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 Old Hall Drive Academy
Will you get a place at Old Hall Drive Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Old Hall Drive Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Old Hall Drive Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Old Hall Drive Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Manchester, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Old Hall Drive Academy for 2017 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
99%
Near capacity
414 pupils
420 places
6 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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
67
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
18.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
458
Total Pupils
229
Boys
229
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
17.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,900
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,238
Per pupil
£3170k
Total funding
£412k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.4%
Overall absence
17.1%
Persistent absence
381
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
Old Hall Drive Academy
Questions parents ask about Old Hall Drive Academy
What are SATs results like at Old Hall Drive Academy?
Of the pupils at Old Hall Drive Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is Old Hall Drive Academy's Ofsted rating?
Old Hall Drive Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024.
What is the catchment area for Old Hall Drive Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Old Hall Drive 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 Old Hall Drive Academy?
Old Hall Drive Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Old Hall Drive Academy?
Classes at Old Hall Drive Academy average 28.6 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Old Hall Drive Academy?
Old Hall Drive Academy has around 458 pupils on roll. 68% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Old Hall Drive Academy?
6.4% of sessions were missed at Old Hall Drive Academy in 2024/25. 17.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Old Hall Drive Academy?
Apply through Manchester's coordinated admissions process, naming Old Hall Drive 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 Old Hall Drive Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Old Hall Drive Academy: Progressive Sports (900m away, registered, not yet graded) and Premier Sport Wraparound Abbey Hey Primary Academy (980m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Old Hall Drive Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 20 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 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 Old Hall Drive Academy?
Old Hall Drive Academy is at Old Hall Drive, Gorton, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M18 7FU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)