Chorlton High School

Chorlton High School is a high-performing, larger-than-average secondary school within The Prospere Learning Trust. Inspectors found strong practice across achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and well-being, with safeguarding requirements met. Pupils achieve consistently well in national examinations, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and are well prepared for education, employment and training. Attendance is high and persistent absence has fallen sharply. Behaviour is calm and respectful, the curriculum is broad and ambitious, and teachers adapt work skilfully so that pupils with additional needs can access the same challenging content. Leaders use pupil premium funding strategically, support vulnerable pupils well, and provide strong pastoral care and enrichment, including arts and community opportunities. The report identifies no areas of concern. Leaders, governors and trustees are told to sustain the effectiveness of their work and continue pursuing improvement for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children known or previously known to children’s social care, and others facing barriers.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve consistently above national averages in national examinations across a range of subjects and groups.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes are particularly strong and increasingly above national averages.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other vulnerabilities are well supported to achieve from a wide range of starting points.
• Attendance is high and persistent absence has fallen sharply.
• Behaviour systems are clear, embedded and create a calm, respectful culture.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and well sequenced, with strong subject-specific teacher knowledge.
• Reading and foundational knowledge are prioritised, with swift support for pupils who have gaps.
• Inclusion is highly effective, including for pupils who speak English as an additional language, newly arrived pupils, and those in care.
• Leaders, governors and trustees know the school well and provide rigorous support and challenge.
• Staff access established professional learning and feel well supported and valued.
• Personal development and enrichment are extensive, with a strong emphasis on arts and community participation.
• Pastoral care is highly effective and helps pupils overcome barriers and improve life chances.
• Pupils are well prepared for next steps through effective careers information, advice and guidance.

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 Chorlton High School attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.0% 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, 4.9% of pupils at Chorlton High 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 Chorlton High School had 16.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.8% 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, 21.9% of pupils at Chorlton High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.7% 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 Chorlton High School received £8,410 and spent £8,741 for each of its 1,534 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £630,000 (£411 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

Chorlton High School is part of Prospere Learning Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

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

What is Chorlton High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Chorlton High School is Strong standard, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was Chorlton High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chorlton High School was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does Chorlton High School have?

Chorlton High School has 1,532 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chorlton High School cover?

Chorlton High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Chorlton High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 54.5, and 66% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Chorlton High School?

Chorlton High School is at Nell Lane, Chorlton-Cum-Hardy, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M21 7SL.