CHS South

CHS South is performing well overall, rated as 'Good' in all inspected areas. Established as a free school in 2018, this is the school's first routine inspection under Ofsted, and it has shown that it is a welcoming community with high expectations for pupil behavior and achievement. Most students exhibit positive attitudes towards learning, and the supportive environment enables them to feel safe and valued. The school offers a range of extracurricular activities, which are valued by students, contributing to their personal development and engagement in school life.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and supported at school
• High expectations for behavior and achievement among leaders
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• Strong curriculum development in most subjects
• Teachers possess strong subject knowledge and adapt lessons based on pupil understanding
• A wide range of extracurricular clubs and activities available to pupils
• Effective safeguarding measures in place

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils struggle to regulate their behavior during unstructured times
• A few subjects lack a broad and ambitious curriculum
• Limited opportunities for pupils to revisit previous learning in some subjects

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 CHS South attended 93.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.0% 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, 5.7% of pupils at CHS South were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 CHS South had 15.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.3% 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, 14.0% of pupils at CHS South were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.1% 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 CHS South received £9,120 and spent £8,895 for each of its 1,130 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,860,000 (£1,646 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

CHS South is part of Prospere Learning Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Chorlton High School 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 CHS South's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for CHS South is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.

When was CHS South last inspected by Ofsted?

CHS South was last inspected in February 2023.

How many pupils does CHS South have?

CHS South has 1,177 pupils on roll.

What age range does CHS South cover?

CHS South for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are CHS South's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.2, and 48% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is CHS South?

CHS South is at 451 Mauldeth Road West, Chorlton, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M21 7SX.