The Heys School

The Heys School is performing well, achieving a 'Good' rating across all areas of inspection. The school features a welcoming environment where pupils feel happy and engaged. High expectations for behaviour are maintained, leading to a calm learning atmosphere. Significant improvements have been made in the curriculum, which now offers a broad range of subjects that cater to student interests. However, some challenges remain, particularly in relation to attendance and ensuring pupils grasp knowledge thoroughly before moving on to new topics.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from a calm and welcoming atmosphere.
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils, especially with disadvantaged students.
• High expectations for pupil behaviour.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Ambitious and broad curriculum.
• Commitment to developing a love of reading among pupils.
• Extensive careers education and guidance.

Areas for Improvement

• Low proportion of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate subjects.
• Some teachers do not check pupils' knowledge adequately, leading to gaps.
• Too many pupils have poor attendance.

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 The Heys School attended 86.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 40.5% 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, 18.5% of pupils at The Heys School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 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 The Heys School had 16.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.8% 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, 15.4% of pupils at The Heys School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.9% 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 The Heys School received £9,103 and spent £9,262 for each of its 573 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £514,000 (£897 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of The Rowan Learning Trust, income was £7,984 and spending £7,872 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 · Bury local authority: places and applications

The Heys School is part of The Rowan Learning Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Hawkley Hall High School Wigan
• Marus Bridge Primary School Wigan
• Orrell Lamberhead Green Academy Wigan
• Orrell Holgate Academy Wigan
• Whitley Village School Warrington
• Farington Primary School Leyland
• Prescot Primary School Prescot
• Kirkby High School Liverpool
• Plantation Primary School Liverpool
• The Acorns Primary and Nursery School Ellesmere Port

What is The Heys School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Heys School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was The Heys School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Heys School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does The Heys School have?

The Heys School has 546 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Heys School cover?

The Heys School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Heys School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 33.1, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Heys School?

The Heys School is at Heys Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1JZ.