Brentnall Academy

Brentnall Academy is a new school, part of the United Learning Trust, with a specially resourced SEND provision called The Ark for pupils with autism. Inspectors found a flourishing, highly inclusive school where leaders, including from the trust, are ambitious and effective. Inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development are all strong, and safeguarding standards are met. Pupils feel safe, behave well, and benefit from a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, and early years are at the expected standard. Pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics combined was above average in 2025, with reading a particular strength. Teaching is effective and rapidly improving, and the early years provision is well considered. However, writing is a relative weakness: some pupils' spelling, punctuation, grammar, handwriting, and extended writing are less well developed. Attendance overall and persistent absence remain above national averages, although leaders act promptly and individual attendance improves. Some reading teaching also does not develop pupils' understanding of different authors well enough. Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of what needs to improve further. They have already taken determined action on writing and attendance, but it is too soon to see the full impact. The school is on a positive trajectory and is well placed to continue improving.

Strengths

• Highly ambitious and effective leadership, including from the trust, driving rapid improvement in a new school.
• Outstanding inclusion: barriers are removed so all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, feel safe and belong.
• Expert SEND provision, including The Ark, where staff support pupils' needs and behaviour very well.
• Strong personal development with wide enrichment, active pupil roles, and a deep regard for diversity and British values.
• Calm, positive behaviour and rare bullying, with issues managed quickly and effectively.
• Rapidly improving teaching and a well-sequenced curriculum that pupils describe as a fundamental strength.
• Good early years provision with a well-considered curriculum and strong focus on communication, language, and physical development.
• Above-average attainment in reading, writing and mathematics combined, with reading a particular strength.
• Effective attendance strategies that lead to rapid improvement for individual pupils.
• A supportive, happy workplace with strong professional development and attention to staff workload.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance overall and persistent absence remain above national averages, and published attendance information does not reflect some pupils' complex circumstances.
• Some pupils' spelling, punctuation, grammar, handwriting, and ability to write at length are less well developed.
• Some teaching of spelling, punctuation, grammar, and handwriting is less well thought out, and some writing activities limit opportunities to write at length.
• Some reading teaching focuses less successfully on developing pupils' understanding of different authors and their specific works.
• Leaders' recent actions to improve writing are yet to show impact.

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 Brentnall Academy attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 23.5% 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, 4.6% of pupils at Brentnall 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 Brentnall Academy had 16.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.9% 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, 13.6% of pupils at Brentnall Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 1 pupil.

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 Brentnall Academy received £8,733 and spent £9,728 for each of its 196 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £175,000 (£894 per pupil).

Across all 93 schools of United Learning Trust, income was £8,687 and spending £8,616 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 Salford · Salford local authority: places and applications

Brentnall Academy is part of United Learning Trust, which runs 98 schools. The nearest others:

• Marlborough Road Academy Salford
• Cravenwood Primary Academy Manchester
• The Albion Academy Salford
• Manchester Academy Manchester
• William Hulme's Grammar School Manchester
• Abbey Hey Primary Academy Manchester
• Salford City Academy Manchester
• The Lowry Academy Manchester
• Sale High School Sale
• Dukesgate Academy Salford

What is Brentnall Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brentnall Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Brentnall Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Brentnall Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Brentnall Academy have?

Brentnall Academy has 184 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brentnall Academy cover?

Brentnall Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Brentnall Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Brentnall Academy?

Brentnall Academy is at Northumberland Street, Higher Broughton, Salford, Greater Manchester, M7 4RP.