Moss Valley Primary Academy

Moss Valley Primary Academy is a friendly, inclusive school where pupils feel happy and well cared for and show the school’s values in their behaviour. Inspectors found high expectations and strong provision across education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years. Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well from Nursery to Year 6, reading and phonics are taught effectively, attendance has improved significantly, and safeguarding is effective. This was the school’s first section 5 inspection; it joined Kings Academy Trust in 2023, and its predecessor school had previously been judged to require improvement. The main areas for improvement are that some lessons do not give pupils enough opportunity to practise and apply their learning independently, which limits the depth of knowledge some pupils can develop. In addition, pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values and the protected characteristics is underdeveloped, so they are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. Governance and trust support are strengths, and staff feel valued and well supported.

Strengths

• Pupils feel happy, safe and well cared for in a friendly, inclusive school.
• Pupils behave courteously, support one another and focus well in lessons.
• Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well from Nursery to Year 6.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well mapped and delivered clearly by staff.
• Reading and phonics are taught confidently, with swift support for pupils who struggle.
• Early years provision nurtures independence, communication and language effectively.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported thoughtfully, including in the Orchard and Acorn provisions.
• Attendance has improved significantly through effective systems and positive work with families.
• The school provides a rich character programme, trips, clubs and responsibilities that build confidence.
• Governors and trustees hold leaders to account well, and staff feel valued and supported.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some lessons do not give pupils enough opportunity to practise and apply their learning independently.
• This limits some pupils from developing the depth of subject knowledge they are capable of.
• Pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values and protected characteristics is underdeveloped, leaving them less prepared for life in modern Britain.

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 Moss Valley Primary Academy attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 25.9% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Moss Valley 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 Moss Valley Primary Academy had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 24.5% 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 Moss Valley Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 21.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 28 pupils.

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 Moss Valley Primary Academy received £11,869 and spent £13,155 for each of its 164 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £212,000 (£1,292 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Kings Academy Trust, income was £11,174 and spending £11,383 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

Moss Valley Primary Academy is part of Kings Academy Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Oakwood Academy Eccles
• The Deans Primary School Manchester
• Acer Academy, Salford Salford

What is Moss Valley Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Moss Valley Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Moss Valley Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Moss Valley Primary Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Moss Valley Primary Academy have?

Moss Valley Primary Academy has 183 pupils on roll.

What age range does Moss Valley Primary Academy cover?

Moss Valley Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Moss Valley Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 29% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Moss Valley Primary Academy?

Moss Valley Primary Academy is at Cutnook Lane, Irlam, Salford, Greater Manchester, M44 6GX.