Irlam and Cadishead Academy

Irlam and Cadishead Academy has made significant strides in its overall performance, moving from a previous grade of requires improvement to now being rated as good. The school has cultivated a positive environment where pupils are happy and engaged, demonstrating strong relationships with staff and feeling safe. With an ambitious and effective curriculum now in place, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are achieving well across most subjects. Improvements in behaviour have also been notable, contributing to a calm and focused learning atmosphere.

Strengths

• Strong pastoral support creating a tight-knit school community
• High expectations of behaviour and positive attitudes towards learning
• Ambitious and effective curriculum leading to good pupil achievement
• Successful support for pupils with SEND to achieve well
• High-quality staff development improving education delivery

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack systematic checks on pupil understanding, leading to knowledge gaps
• Inadequate support for some pupils struggling with reading in key stage 4

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 Irlam and Cadishead Academy attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.6% 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, 9.5% of pupils at Irlam and Cadishead Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 8 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 Irlam and Cadishead Academy had 16.6 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, 12.8% of pupils at Irlam and Cadishead Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.0% 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 Irlam and Cadishead Academy received £10,750 and spent £10,488 for each of its 782 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £699,000 (£894 per pupil).

Across all 93 schools of United Learning Trust, income was £8,687 and spending £8,616 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

Irlam and Cadishead Academy is part of United Learning Trust, which runs 98 schools. The nearest others:

• Cadishead Primary Academy Manchester
• Salford City Academy Manchester
• Sale High School Sale
• The Lowry Academy Manchester
• Dukesgate Academy Salford
• The Albion Academy Salford
• William Hulme's Grammar School Manchester
• Manchester Academy Manchester
• Brentnall Academy Salford
• Marlborough Road Academy Salford

What is Irlam and Cadishead Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Irlam and Cadishead Academy is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Irlam and Cadishead Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Irlam and Cadishead Academy was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Irlam and Cadishead Academy have?

Irlam and Cadishead Academy has 844 pupils on roll.

What age range does Irlam and Cadishead Academy cover?

Irlam and Cadishead Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Irlam and Cadishead Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.3, and 48% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Irlam and Cadishead Academy?

Irlam and Cadishead Academy is at Station Road, Irlam, Manchester, M44 5ZR.