Manor Croft Academy

Manor Croft Academy is performing well overall, with commendable leadership and management. The school displays a strong commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that all pupils are supported in their educational journey. The curriculum is broad and knowledge-rich, complemented by effective extra-curricular activities that foster meaningful connections between subjects. Despite the school's success, there are some areas needing improvement, particularly in the support for early reading and the retention of key knowledge in ethics, philosophy, and citizenship lessons.

Strengths

• Strong leadership and management
• Inclusive environment supporting all pupils
• Broad and knowledge-rich curriculum
• Effective extra-curricular activities
• High expectations for behavior and attendance
• Good support for pupils with SEND
• Pupils achieve highly, including disadvantaged students
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Ineffective support for early reading leading to some pupils not becoming proficient readers
• Inconsistent retention of important knowledge in EPC curriculum

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 Manor Croft Academy attended 89.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 32.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 16.3% of pupils at Manor Croft Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Manor Croft Academy had 23.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 12.5% of pupils at Manor Croft Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Manor Croft Academy received £7,641 and spent £7,546 for each of its 1,041 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £886,000 (£851 per pupil).

Across all 62 schools of Delta Academies Trust, income was £7,459 and spending £7,562 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 Dewsbury · Kirklees local authority: places and applications

Manor Croft Academy is part of Delta Academies Trust, which runs 62 schools. The nearest others:

• Eastborough Academy Dewsbury
• Heckmondwike Primary Academy Heckmondwike
• Park View Primary Academy Leeds
• Ryecroft Primary Academy Bradford
• Lower Fields Primary Academy Bradford
• Darton Academy Barnsley
• Southmere Primary Academy Bradford
• Valley Academy Bradford
• Hanson Academy Bradford
• Whetley Academy Bradford

What is Manor Croft Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Manor Croft Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Manor Croft Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Manor Croft Academy was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Manor Croft Academy have?

Manor Croft Academy has 1,032 pupils on roll.

What age range does Manor Croft Academy cover?

Manor Croft Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Manor Croft Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.9, and 53% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Manor Croft Academy?

Manor Croft Academy is at Old Bank Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, WF12 7DW.