Across clues:
7ac SCHOOL (academy)
Anagram of ‘solo’ around ‘ch’ [church] (a container clue with an anagram)
8ac ROLY-POLY
Roly-poly = plump & a pudding (a double definition clue)
10ac SPONGERS (bludgers)
Spongers; ‘sponges’ [cakes] around ‘r’ [middle letter of ‘afternoon’ (a container clue, pointer being ‘around’)
11ac WAIATA (song)
Anagram of ‘await a’ (anagram pointer being ‘reworked’)
12ac GO TO THE DOGS (become ruined)
Play on words; go to the dogs = visit the racetrack
14ac HASHISH (dope)
Hashish; ‘ash’ [tree] inside ‘his’, h = last letter of ‘dish’ (a container clue with a charade)
16ac REACTED (responded)
Anagram of ‘dead cert’ without ‘d’ [five hundred] (anagram pointer being ‘hapless’)
19ac DOUBLE CROSS (betray)
Double = a bet, cross = grumpy (grumpy after a bet) (a charade clue)
22ac SPRANG (recoiled)
S = first letter of ‘school’, prang = accident (accident after start of school) (a charade clue)
23ac CIRCULAR
Circular = ring-shaped & letter (a double definition clue)
24ac BLOOMERS
Bloomers = mistakes & underwear (a double definition clue)
25ac SWEETS (confectionary)
Sweets; ‘saints [sts] around ‘wee’ [very little] (a container clue, pointer being ‘consume’)
Down clues:
1d SCAPEGOAT (a person to blame)
Scape = first letter removed from ‘escape’ [flee], goat = kid perhaps (a charade clue with a deletion)
2d TOP-NOTCH (first-rate)
Top = toy, notch = nick (a charade clue)
3 CLIENT (customer)
Anagram of ‘cent’ & L [left] & i [one] (anagram pointer being ‘mistakenly’)
4d CROSSED
Crossed = thwarted & passed over (a double definition clue)
5d SLOWPOKE (dawdler)
Slow = tardy, poke = sack (a charade clue)
6d SPRIGS
Sprigs = twigs & found underfoot (a double definition clue)
9d LOTS (plenty)
Lo = look, ts = last letters of ‘pit bulls’ (a charade clue with last letters)
13d SEA SHANTY (air)
Sea = the main, shanty = cabin (a charade clue)
15 SMUGGLES (sneakily conveys)
Smuggles; ‘muggle’ [person with no charms] inside ‘ss’ [on board] (a container clue)
17d CHORUSES (musical groups)
Choruses; ‘us’ [American] inside ‘chores’ [jobs] (a container clue, pointer being ‘included in’)
18d ALECOST (a herb)
Found within the words ‘sale costumes’ (a hidden word clue, pointer being ‘feature a’)
19d DRAGON (Tolkien creature)
Dr = doctor, agon = last letter removed from ‘agony’ [suffering] (a charade clue with a deletion)
20d CERISE (colour)
Anagram of ‘cries & ‘e’ [first letter of ‘earthy’] (anagram pointer being ‘about’)
21d OPAL (birthstone)
Found backwards within the words ‘full apology’ (a reversed hidden word clue, pointer being ‘returned as part of’)
Cryptic She Wrote 