Manchester Communication Primary Academy

Manchester Communication Primary Academy is maintaining its status as a good school since its last inspection in 2017. The school fosters a nurturing environment where pupils feel welcome and safe, actively engaging them in their education and promoting strong learning behaviors. Parents appreciate the familial atmosphere and the support provided for their children, indicating a strong sense of community. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive quality education. However, some subject leaders are still developing their curriculum understanding, which has led to gaps in knowledge for some pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils feel cared for and safe within a supportive environment.
• Leaders have designed a rich and engaging curriculum.
• Staff are well trained to deliver the curriculum effectively.
• Pupils demonstrate strong learning behaviors and respect for one another.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective and proactive.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subject leaders are still finalizing their curriculum planning.
• A minority of staff do not implement the phonics program as effectively.

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 Manchester Communication Primary Academy attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.5% 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, 2.6% of pupils at Manchester Communication 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 Manchester Communication Primary Academy had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.6% 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, 18.4% of pupils at Manchester Communication Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.8% 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 Manchester Communication Primary Academy received £6,804 and spent £7,958 for each of its 426 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £992,000 (£2,328 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Greater Manchester Academies Trust, income was £8,314 and spending £9,302 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 Manchester · Manchester local authority: places and applications

Manchester Communication Primary Academy is part of Greater Manchester Academies Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Manchester Communication Academy Manchester

What is Manchester Communication Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Manchester Communication Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Manchester Communication Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Manchester Communication Primary Academy was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Manchester Communication Primary Academy have?

Manchester Communication Primary Academy has 414 pupils on roll.

What age range does Manchester Communication Primary Academy cover?

Manchester Communication Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Manchester Communication Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Manchester Communication Primary Academy?

Manchester Communication Primary Academy is at 49 Parkstead Drive, Harpurhey, Manchester, M9 5QN.