Old Hall Drive Academy

About Old Hall Drive Academy

Old Hall Drive Academy’s headline Key Stage 2 results sit just above the Manchester local authority average, but the gap is narrow. The school’s proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 60%, compared with the LA average of 57% for primary schools. That three-point advantage places it 52nd out of 122 primaries in Manchester, or roughly in the top half of the city’s schools. However, the picture at the higher end is less encouraging: only 6% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, which is a low figure and suggests that while most children are meeting the basic benchmark, relatively few are exceeding it. Given that 67.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals — well above the national average — this is a school doing a solid job with a high-needs intake, but not one that pushes a large number of pupils into the top performance bracket.

Looking at individual subjects, the school’s strengths become clearer. In reading, 78% of pupils hit the expected standard and 29% reached the higher standard, both strong figures. Maths follows with 71% at expected and 19% at higher, while writing lags a little at 71% expected and just 10% higher. The average scaled scores — 105 in reading and 104 in maths — are both above the national benchmark of 100. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, the school was rated Good overall, with every category except early years rated Good. The early years provision was judged Outstanding, a notable strength. The previous inspection in 2019 also rated the school Good overall, so there is consistency in leadership and management, which has held a Good rating across both visits. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and the quality of education all came out as Good in the 2024 report, suggesting a stable and well-run school.

The school is oversubscribed: for 50 places in 2025/26, it received 118 applications, a ratio of 2.36 to one, and all 50 first-preference applicants were offered a place. That suggests strong local demand, though not cut-throat competition. Facilities are decent for a primary — a library, outdoor playground, playing fields, a sensory room, forest school, music rooms, and even a chapel. Sports include rounders, cross country, gymnastics, tennis, dance, netball, and athletics, and clubs cover gardening, book club, and science club. SEND provisions are broad, covering specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional needs, speech and language, and physical disability. With nursery provision on site, this school suits families in Manchester looking for a solid, inclusive primary that handles a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils without drama, and where early years are a particular strength.

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