Manchester Enterprise Academy

Manchester Enterprise Academy is currently in a state that requires special measures due to significant challenges in providing an acceptable standard of education. The inspection highlighted urgent issues in leadership, curriculum delivery, and pupil achievement, indicating that the school leaders have not demonstrated the capacity for necessary improvements. Despite safeguarding standards being met, the overall performance has been considerably below national averages for several years, with persistent problems in pupil attendance and behaviour impacting learning outcomes negatively. While there are notable strengths in personal development opportunities and adequate support systems for some vulnerable pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school struggles with effectively meeting the educational needs of all students. The mixed views among staff regarding levels of support indicate a need for greater cohesion and a more ambitious approach to curriculum and teaching practices to truly enhance student experiences and success rates.

Strengths

• The school provides comprehensive personal development and wider opportunities beyond the curriculum.
• Pupils, including disadvantaged ones, are encouraged to participate in initiatives like the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
• There is effective pastoral support in place for students.
• Leaders engage with external organisations to support vulnerable pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• The school has been failing to provide an acceptable standard of education.
• The curriculum and teaching quality do not meet the needs of pupils effectively.
• Pupil attendance has been low and declining, with rising persistent absence.
• Behaviour management is ineffective, leading to unruly conduct from some pupils.
• There is a significant gap in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.

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 Enterprise Academy attended 84.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 40.1% 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, 21.1% of pupils at Manchester Enterprise Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 7 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 Enterprise Academy had 13.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.7% 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, 22.7% of pupils at Manchester Enterprise Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.8% 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 2024–25 Manchester Enterprise Academy received £10,152 and spent £9,941 for each of its 1,187 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,485,000 (£2,093 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Prospere Learning Trust, income was £11,772 and spending £11,506 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 Enterprise Academy is part of Prospere Learning Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Piper Hill High School Manchester
• Pioneer House High School Manchester
• Pear Tree Specialist Support High School Stockport
• Chorlton High School Manchester
• CHS South Manchester
• Manchester Enterprise Academy Central Manchester
• Grange School Manchester
• Orchard House Specialist High School Manchester
• Camberwell Park Specialist Support School Manchester
• Prospect House Specialist Support Primary School Manchester

What is Manchester Enterprise Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Manchester Enterprise Academy is Urgent improvement, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Manchester Enterprise Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Manchester Enterprise Academy was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Manchester Enterprise Academy have?

Manchester Enterprise Academy has 1,145 pupils on roll.

What age range does Manchester Enterprise Academy cover?

Manchester Enterprise Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Manchester Enterprise Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 33.0, and 22% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Manchester Enterprise Academy?

Manchester Enterprise Academy is at Simonsway, Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, M22 9RH.