Manchester Academy

Manchester Academy has demonstrated significant improvement since its previous inspection, moving from a grade of 'Requires Improvement' to 'Good'. Pupils at the school are happy, feel safe, and are engaged in their learning, benefiting from a supportive environment fostered by high expectations from staff. The curriculum has been enhanced to offer a broader and more ambitious range of subjects, resulting in better engagement and participation from all students, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Despite these strengths, there remain areas for further development, particularly regarding the knowledge that pupils need in certain subjects to achieve their full potential.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit good behaviour and a positive attitude towards learning.
• There is effective management of attendance and behaviour, leading to reduced suspensions.
• The school offers a broad and ambitious curriculum, improving student engagement significantly.
• Strong support for students with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language.
• The personal development programme promotes students' health and well-being.
• The school fosters a respectful and inclusive environment.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects have not effectively identified key knowledge for student learning.
• Not all teachers have received adequate training to deliver the personal development curriculum 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 Academy attended 92.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.6% 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, 10.1% of pupils at Manchester Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Academy had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.5% 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, 13.9% of pupils at Manchester Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 14 pupils and resourced provision with 3 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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Manchester Academy received £9,936 and spent £9,528 for each of its 1,122 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,003,000 (£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 Manchester · Manchester local authority: places and applications

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

• William Hulme's Grammar School Manchester
• Abbey Hey Primary Academy Manchester
• The Albion Academy Salford
• Marlborough Road Academy Salford
• Brentnall Academy Salford
• Cravenwood Primary Academy Manchester
• Sale High School Sale
• Stockport Academy Stockport
• Salford City Academy Manchester
• Irlam and Cadishead Academy Manchester

What is Manchester Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Manchester Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Manchester Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Manchester Academy was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Manchester Academy have?

Manchester Academy has 1,025 pupils on roll.

What age range does Manchester Academy cover?

Manchester Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Manchester Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.9, and 46% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Manchester Academy?

Manchester Academy is at Moss Lane East, Moss Side, Manchester, M14 4PX.