Manston St James Primary Academy

Manston St James Primary Academy is a caring, nurturing school where pupils are well supported emotionally and relationships between staff and pupils are warm. Inspectors found high expectations and a new leadership team that has quickly tackled key curriculum and behaviour issues, with pupils now achieving well in most subjects, especially reading and mathematics. The curriculum is thoughtfully sequenced and adapted for pupils with SEND, reading provision has been substantially strengthened, early years is ambitious, and behaviour has improved. Safeguarding is effective. Writing is the main area of underperformance: the curriculum does not yet help all pupils build writing knowledge and skills progressively, and some pupils leave without reaching the expected standard. Persistent absence also remains too high, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, although the school's systems are beginning to improve attendance. Leaders are well supported by the trust, staff report manageable workloads, and governors understand the school's needs. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the headteacher is new since the previous inspection. The school is part of Abbey Multi Academy Trust. Previously published outcomes do not reflect the current quality of learning pupils benefit from.

Strengths

• Caring and nurturing culture with warm staff-pupil relationships
• High expectations for pupils' achievement and commitment to improving outcomes
• Curriculum thoughtfully designed so learning builds over time
• Key vocabulary identified and used consistently to support learning
• Curriculum carefully adapted for pupils with SEND
• Reading made a top priority with strong phonics teaching and targeted catch-up support
• Most pupils read confidently and accurately because books match their ability
• Ambitious early years curriculum focused on language and vocabulary
• Behaviour much improved, with calm and orderly routines
• Personal development curriculum equips pupils to stay safe and understand equality and tolerance
• Leadership has addressed key issues and improved outcomes
• Staff feel supported and have manageable workloads
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Writing curriculum does not enable pupils to build knowledge and skills progressively as well as it could
• Some pupils leave school unable to write at the expected standard
• Achievement in writing is variable and not consistently strong
• Persistent absence remains a concern, particularly for disadvantaged pupils

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Manston St James Primary Academy attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.9% of pupils at Manston St James Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Manston St James Primary Academy had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 18.0% of pupils at Manston St James Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Manston St James Primary Academy received £7,084 and spent £7,432 for each of its 351 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £452,000 (£1,287 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Abbey Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,974 and spending £8,005 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Leeds · Leeds local authority: places and applications

Manston St James Primary Academy is part of Abbey Multi Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Bishop Young Church of England Academy Leeds
• Holy Trinity Church of England Academy, Rothwell Leeds
• Christ Church Upper Armley Church of England Primary School Leeds
• St Chad's Church of England Primary School Leeds
• Abbey Grange Church of England Academy Leeds
• Lightcliffe Academy Halifax
• Lightcliffe C of E Primary School Halifax

What is Manston St James Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Manston St James Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Manston St James Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Manston St James Primary Academy was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Manston St James Primary Academy have?

Manston St James Primary Academy has 323 pupils on roll.

What age range does Manston St James Primary Academy cover?

Manston St James Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Manston St James Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Manston St James Primary Academy?

Manston St James Primary Academy is at Sandbed Lane, Crossgates, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS15 8JH.