Our Lady's RC High School

Our Lady's RC High School is a Roman Catholic secondary school of about 1,050 pupils in a context with well-above-average free school meal eligibility and location deprivation. Inspectors found the school performing strongly across all areas inspected, with safeguarding standards met. Pupils achieve very well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and almost all move on to appropriate education, employment or training. Attendance is high, persistent absence is low, and behaviour is calm and respectful. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, teaching is effective, and inclusion support is rigorous. Leadership and governance are strong, staff are well supported, and the personal development and enrichment offer is extensive. The report identifies no specific weaknesses or areas needing attention; the only next step is to sustain the school's effectiveness and continue improving, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those facing barriers to learning or wellbeing.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve very well across the curriculum, with progress above national averages in many areas.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve particularly well and consistently outperform national averages.
• Pupils with SEND achieve well from their starting points and receive effective support.
• Pupils recall learning well, produce high-quality work and are well prepared for the next stage.
• Attendance is high and persistent absence is low, supported by forensic analysis and swift action.
• Pupils behave with respect and self-discipline in a calm, orderly environment, and bullying is rare.
• The curriculum is clear, ambitious and prioritises foundational skills and knowledge across subjects.
• Teachers use subject expertise and effective assessment to help pupils understand difficult concepts.
• Inclusion is rigorous, with swift identification of needs and targeted professional training for staff.
• Leaders and governors accurately evaluate performance, act on priorities and hold leaders to account.
• Staff benefit from high-quality professional development and feel valued, involved and well supported.
• The personal development programme is tailored and the enrichment offer is extensive and thoughtful.
• Pupils have meaningful leadership opportunities and develop a strong sense of community spirit.
• Pastoral support is highly effective, and vulnerable pupils are identified and supported well.
• Careers education and employer engagement prepare pupils very well for life beyond school.
• Safeguarding has an open and positive culture in which concerns are actively identified and managed.

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 Our Lady's RC High School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 10.0% 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, 0.1% of pupils at Our Lady's RC High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Our Lady's RC High School had 13.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% 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, 13.3% of pupils at Our Lady's RC High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.8% 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 2025–26 Our Lady's RC High School received £9,596 and spent £9,333 for each of its 1,048 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £598,000 (£571 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Manchester · Manchester local authority: places and applications

What is Our Lady's RC High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Our Lady's RC High School is Strong standard, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was Our Lady's RC High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Our Lady's RC High School was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does Our Lady's RC High School have?

Our Lady's RC High School has 1,046 pupils on roll.

What age range does Our Lady's RC High School cover?

Our Lady's RC High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Our Lady's RC High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 49.6, and 45% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Our Lady's RC High School?

Our Lady's RC High School is at Alworth Road, Higher Blackley, Manchester, M9 0RP.