William Hulme's Grammar School

William Hulme’s Grammar School is on a promising trajectory, showing significant improvements across all areas since its previous inspection. The school is characterized by a diverse and supportive community where pupils feel a strong sense of belonging. The structured routines and high expectations create a calm learning environment that fosters exemplary behavior among students. With a focus on personal development and a well-organized curriculum, most pupils achieve highly, benefitting from tailored support, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The leadership of the school, combined with the support from the United Learning Trust, is driving a shared vision centered on the needs and potential of students.

Strengths

• Diverse and welcoming school culture.
• High expectations for pupil behavior and achievement.
• Strong subject expertise among teachers.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Personal development programs that build confidence.
• Pupils engage positively with a broad curriculum.
• Strong leadership and effective governance.

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 William Hulme's Grammar School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.7% 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, 3.3% of pupils at William Hulme's Grammar 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 William Hulme's Grammar School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.8% 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, 12.8% of pupils at William Hulme's Grammar School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 11 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 William Hulme's Grammar School received £8,305 and spent £8,135 for each of its 1,596 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,426,000 (£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

William Hulme's Grammar School is part of United Learning Trust, which runs 98 schools. The nearest others:

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

What is William Hulme's Grammar School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for William Hulme's Grammar School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was William Hulme's Grammar School last inspected by Ofsted?

William Hulme's Grammar School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does William Hulme's Grammar School have?

William Hulme's Grammar School has 1,542 pupils on roll.

What age range does William Hulme's Grammar School cover?

William Hulme's Grammar School for pupils aged 3 to 18.

What are William Hulme's Grammar School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 49.7, and 56% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are William Hulme's Grammar School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is William Hulme's Grammar School?

William Hulme's Grammar School is at Spring Bridge Road, Manchester, M16 8PR.