Oasis Academy MediaCityUK

Oasis Academy MediaCityUK is a large secondary school in the Oasis Community Learning trust, serving a disadvantaged community with well-above-average free school meal eligibility and above-average SEN support. Safeguarding is met, and the school has a positive culture in which pupils feel safe. Attendance and behaviour, inclusion and personal development are generally secure: attendance is close to national averages, persistent absence has fallen, behaviour has improved after a period of instability, and vulnerable pupils and those with SEND are supported well through a community hub, tailored provision and enrichment. However, pupils' achievement is a significant concern. Attainment and progress in national assessments have remained below national averages over time, and although disadvantaged pupils make progress similar to their peers nationally, gaps are not closing quickly enough. Teaching is not consistently high quality across subjects: important knowledge is not always emphasised, assessment is not used consistently to check understanding, and support for literacy and numeracy is often too general to meet pupils' precise needs. Some pupils are therefore not well prepared for their next steps. Leadership has been strengthened recently, including through new senior appointments and regional trust oversight, and staff feel better supported. Improvement work has accelerated in areas such as behaviour, but historically it was too slow, and effectiveness still varies across curriculum areas. The school is beginning to address weaknesses, but much of the work is at an early stage.

Strengths

• Open and positive safeguarding culture; pupils feel safe
• Inclusive ethos with strong support for vulnerable pupils and those with SEND
• Effective use of a community hub and additional funding to reduce barriers
• Attendance broadly close to national averages, with persistent absence declining
• Behaviour typically orderly and purposeful; suspensions have reduced
• Broad enrichment offer, including cultural, sporting and leadership opportunities
• Strong careers programme, including bespoke SEND preparation for adulthood
• Pupils are respectful and bullying is dealt with effectively
• Governance strengthened through regional oversight and clear accountability
• Staff feel better supported and value recent leadership changes

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' attainment and progress remain below national averages over time
• Teaching is not consistently high quality across subjects
• Curriculum does not consistently emphasise the most important knowledge
• Assessment strategies are not used consistently to check understanding
• Literacy and numeracy gaps are not identified sharply enough; support is too general
• Improvement actions have historically been too slow, especially in curriculum and teaching
• Leadership effectiveness varies across curriculum areas
• Some staff subject expertise is still developing
• Pupils do not consistently show dedication to their learning
• Some pupils are not well prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training

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 Oasis Academy MediaCityUK attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.0% 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, 7.2% of pupils at Oasis Academy MediaCityUK 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 Oasis Academy MediaCityUK had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 30.5% 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, 18.1% of pupils at Oasis Academy MediaCityUK were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% 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 2024–25 Oasis Academy MediaCityUK received £10,153 and spent £9,031 for each of its 1,015 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £890,000 (£877 per pupil).

Across all 56 schools of Oasis Community Learning, income was £9,249 and spending £9,031 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 · Salford local authority: places and applications

Oasis Academy MediaCityUK is part of Oasis Community Learning, which runs 57 schools. The nearest others:

• Oasis Academy Temple Manchester
• Oasis Academy Harpur Mount Manchester
• Oasis Academy Aspinal Manchester
• Oasis Academy Limeside Oldham
• Oasis Academy Oldham Oldham
• Oasis Academy Broadoak Ashton-Under-Lyne
• Oasis Academy Leesbrook Oldham
• Oasis Academy Clarksfield Oldham
• Oasis Academy Lister Park Bradford
• Oasis Academy Watermead Sheffield

What is Oasis Academy MediaCityUK's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oasis Academy MediaCityUK is Needs attention, from an inspection in February 2026.

When was Oasis Academy MediaCityUK last inspected by Ofsted?

Oasis Academy MediaCityUK was last inspected in February 2026.

How many pupils does Oasis Academy MediaCityUK have?

Oasis Academy MediaCityUK has 989 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oasis Academy MediaCityUK cover?

Oasis Academy MediaCityUK for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Oasis Academy MediaCityUK's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 35.8, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Oasis Academy MediaCityUK?

Oasis Academy MediaCityUK is at King William Street, Salford, Manchester, M50 3UQ.