Manchester Communication Academy

Manchester Communication Academy is performing well overall, with a 'Good' grade across most inspection domains and an 'Outstanding' rating for personal development. The school prioritizes creating a supportive community where students find a sense of belonging. Students actively participate in various responsibilities and enjoy a broad curriculum that reflects their diverse backgrounds. The leadership's focus on high-quality education helps pupils achieve ambitious standards, especially those facing social disadvantages. However, there are areas needing improvement, particularly regarding the support for key stage 4 pupils struggling with reading. The school aims to enhance its approach to help these students catch up and develop their reading skills effectively. Overall, the school is committed to fostering a positive learning environment while addressing specific challenges related to reading support for older students.

Strengths

• Strong sense of belonging and community involvement among pupils.
• Broad and ambitious curriculum catering to diverse pupil needs.
• High-quality professional development for staff enhances teaching.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Robust emphasis on personal development and social values.

Areas for Improvement

• Inadequate support for some key stage 4 pupils struggling with reading.

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 Communication Academy attended 92.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.1% 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, 15.3% of pupils at Manchester Communication Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Communication Academy had 12.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.5% 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, 18.2% of pupils at Manchester Communication Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.0% 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 Communication Academy received £8,809 and spent £9,743 for each of its 1,301 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £872,000 (£671 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Greater Manchester Academies Trust, income was £8,314 and spending £9,302 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 Communication Academy is part of Greater Manchester Academies Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Manchester Communication Primary Academy Manchester

What is Manchester Communication Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Manchester Communication Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Manchester Communication Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Manchester Communication Academy was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Manchester Communication Academy have?

Manchester Communication Academy has 1,240 pupils on roll.

What age range does Manchester Communication Academy cover?

Manchester Communication Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Manchester Communication Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.9, and 42% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Manchester Communication Academy?

Manchester Communication Academy is at Silchester Drive, Harpurhey, Manchester, M40 8NT.