Wellacre Technology Academy

Wellacre Technology Academy is performing well in several important areas, with strong provision for inclusion and personal development. Inspectors found that leaders have made highly impactful decisions for pupils facing barriers, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, and that pastoral support, careers education, enrichment and the Respect curriculum are notable strengths. Attendance and behaviour are generally positive, safeguarding standards are met, and pupils are proud, respectful and well cared for. Curriculum and teaching have improved since the last inspection and are now well sequenced and ambitious. However, teaching does not always use assessment checks to help pupils fill gaps or deepen their knowledge. Leadership and governance are committed, with trustees providing effective support and challenge, and leaders recognise that weaknesses remain in key stage 4 attainment. Achievement is the main area needing attention. National examination outcomes in English and mathematics have not yet improved sustainably, Progress 8 has been below national averages, and pupils generally do not attain as well as they should from their starting points. Disadvantaged pupils face a significant attainment and progress gap. The school is part of the Wellacre Technology Academy Trust and has above-average proportions of pupils with SEND and EHC plans. Leaders have plans to address these issues, but their full impact is not yet evident.

Strengths

• Highly effective inclusion systems and safe spaces for pupils facing barriers
• Strong support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND
• Effective use of pupil premium to ensure equal access to clubs, trips and opportunities
• Robust personal development programme responsive to local issues
• Respect curriculum promotes tolerance, diversity and understanding of society
• Wide range of enrichment, leadership and community opportunities
• Highly effective careers programme with tailored work experience
• Attendance support is reducing persistent and severe absence
• High behavioural expectations with harmonious, studious classrooms
• Bullying is not tolerated and pupils are confident incidents are dealt with swiftly
• Curriculum is well sequenced and appropriately ambitious across subjects and year groups
• Teaching strategies help pupils focus on the most important knowledge
• Timely and highly effective reading support for pupils who need help
• Leaders and trustees are committed, ambitious and have clear oversight
• Staff feel proud and supported, with workload and wellbeing considered
• Strong relationships with parents and the wider community
• Pupils are proud, respectful and care for each other
• Increasingly pupils move on to suitable education, employment or training

Areas for Improvement

• Key stage 4 achievement remains a concern, particularly in English and mathematics
• Pupils generally do not attain as well as they should from their starting points in GCSE examinations
• Progress 8 has been below the national average
• Disadvantaged pupils face a significant attainment and progress gap
• Teachers do not always use assessment information to help pupils fill gaps or deepen their knowledge
• Leaders' plans to improve key stage 4 achievement are too recent to show full impact

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 Wellacre Technology Academy attended 92.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.8% 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, 7.0% of pupils at Wellacre Technology 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 Wellacre Technology Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.9% 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, 17.9% of pupils at Wellacre Technology Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.7% 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 Wellacre Technology Academy received £7,685 and spent £7,706 for each of its 720 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £301,000 (£418 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.

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• Secondary Schools

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What is Wellacre Technology Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wellacre Technology Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Wellacre Technology Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Wellacre Technology Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Wellacre Technology Academy have?

Wellacre Technology Academy has 727 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wellacre Technology Academy cover?

Wellacre Technology Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Wellacre Technology Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.9, and 46% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Wellacre Technology Academy?

Wellacre Technology Academy is at Irlam Road, Flixton, Urmston, Manchester, Lancashire, M41 6AP.